Taking Control
by SilverLightning26
Summary: After watching his godfather die and learning that he either has to kill or be killed, Harry is devastated. But he won't just sit around feeling sorry for himself and expect someone else to solve all his problems. He takes matters into his own hands. He, Harry, is taking control of his own destiny. And he will be the one to triumph.
1. Determination

A/N: This is my first story. It picks up the day after the Ministry fiasco at the end of Book 5. Tell me what you think!

I do not own Harry Potter. Anything in italics is quoted directly from _The Order of the Phoenix_.

 **Chapter 1: Determination**

 _Perhaps the reason he wanted to be alone was because he had felt isolated from everybody since his talk with Dumbledore. An invisible barrier separated him from the rest of the world. He was—he always had been—a marked man. It was just that he had never really understood what that meant... (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, pg. 940)_

And now here he was, sitting on the edge of the lake, gazing out at the water. Harry couldn't help remembering that directly across from here, on the opposite bank, he had once repelled over a hundred Dementors, trying to protect his godfather. He hardly had to try to remember the terror of that night. Sirius's moans beside him, Remus's distant howls, his mother's dying screams echoing in his ears. Harry had lost too much already. It wasn't fair that he had to lose his godfather, too. And all because he had been so convinced that his vision was real. All because of his own foolishness.

Harry scrubbed furiously at the tears that filled his eyes. He was tired of feeling sorry for himself. At least he had been able to spend two years with Sirius. There were others who hadn't even had that long. There were others who had lost a lot more than a near-stranger to the war. Harry's first thought was of Remus Lupin, who had now lost all three of his best friends to Voldemort, two to his wand and one to his service. And Remus's life had been difficult ever since he'd been bitten.

Then Harry remembered Neville, whose parents were even worse than dead, tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange—who was now once again free to repeat the act. And then Harry remembered Susan Bones, who lived with her aunt because Death Eaters had murdered her parents. And countless others who had their entire lives destroyed by Voldemort. The faces and crimes of the recent Azkaban escapees flashed through Harry's mind. And suddenly, in place of self-pity, a determination that no one else would ever have to suffer like he had filled Harry's breast like a fire. _Neither can live while the other survives…_ He would do everything it took to ensure that he, Harry, would be the only one walking away from that final confrontation.

Filled with new energy, Harry jogged back to the castle. Dinner had only just begun, but all his friends were in the hospital wing. So he swung by the kitchens to grab a quick pick-me-up before heading to the dormitory. He took the steps two and three at a time up all seven floors, anxious to be away from the others. Their lives continued as if nothing had happened while something huge had been taken from Harry's—despite his new goal, the weight of Sirius's death still tore at him.

By the time Harry reached the portrait hole, his heart pounded in his chest and he gasped for breath from the speed of his flight. While he caught his breath, Harry began a mental list of how he would prepare to defeat Voldemort. Step one was: get in shape. Once he could breathe properly, Harry ascended to the dormitory and settled himself on his bed with a roll of parchment and a quill. Closing the hangings to prevent interruptions, he set quill to parchment and began his list. After some time, it looked something like this:

1-Get in shape

2- _Learn Occlumency!_

3-Learn more—potions, transfiguration, charms, DADA, arithmancy, ancient runes

4-Leave the Dursleys—muggle London?

5-Learn healing

6-Change appearance—new clothes, contacts?

7-Find a way to practice magic without the Ministry knowing.

Satisfied, Harry nodded to himself. He rose and put the list away in his trunk. Casting a _tempus_ charm, he discovered it was past curfew. Glancing around, he saw that Seamus and Dean had already gone to bed. The other two beds were empty as Neville was being kept overnight in the hospital wing for observation. Ron had not fully recovered from the brain attack and would also be spending the night in the infirmary. Without them the dorm room was rather lonely.

The last day of term arrived almost without warning. Most other students used the day to pack and revisit old memories of the past year. Harry did nothing of the sort. He made a half-hearted attempt to put his things in order, but in truth he didn't want to leave. Harry knew that, however unhappy he was now, returning to the Dursleys would double and quadruple it. Finally the time came for the Leaving Feast. The last thing Harry wanted was to celebrate, but Ron and Hermione convinced him and so he reluctantly followed them down.

The Great Hall was as grand as ever, warm and full of happy chatter. Harry, Ron and Hermione took their seats at the Gryffindor table across from Ginny and Neville. Hermione instantly began a conversation with them (predictably centered on exam results, which they had received the day previous). Harry just listened inattentively while Ron stared longingly at the empty platters that would soon fill with food.

Suddenly a hush fell over the hall. Harry pulled himself from his musings and looked toward the head table. Dumbledore had stood, and as soon as silence fell, he spoke. The headmaster began with the typical end of year announcements as always, and announced the winner of the House Cup (Slytherin, predictably). Then he proceeded to clarify the rumors already spreading from a _Prophet_ article issued a week previous about the incident at the Ministry of Magic.

Dumbledore's announcement concerning Voldemort's return came as a sudden, unwanted, and forceful reminder of the burden Harry now carried under the prophecy, in addition to the harsh reality of Sirius's fate. And it was too much for him. Harry stiffened in his seat, ignoring the looks from Hermione and Ron. The moment the platters filled with food and the hall filled with chatter, he took his leave. Aside from his friends, Harry's exit went unnoticed.

Unwilling to retire to bed quite yet, Harry simply started wandering. He allowed his feet to take him where they would.

 _He had turned the corner towards the Fat Lady's corridor when he saw somebody up ahead fastening a note to a board on the wall. A second glance showed him it was Luna. There were no good hiding places nearby,, she was bound to have heard his footsteps, and in any case, Harry could hardly muster the energy to avoid anyone at the moment._

" _Hello," said Luna rather vaguely, glancing around at him as she stepped back from the notice._

" _How come you're not at the feast?" Harry asked._

" _Wel, I've lost most of my possessions," said Luna serenely. "People take them and hide them, you know. But as it's the last night, I really do need them back, so I've been putting up signs._

 _She gestured toward the noticeboard, upon which, sure enough, she had pinned a list of all her missing books and clothes, with a plea for their return._

 _An odd feeling rose in Harry; an emotion quite different from the grief that had filled him since Siruis's death. It was a few moments before he realized that he was feeling sorry for Luna._

" _How come people hide your stuff?" he asked her, frowning._

" _Oh…well…" she shrugged. "I think they think I'm a bit odd, you know. Some people call me 'Loony' Lovegood, actually."_

 _Harry looked at her and the new feeling of pity intensified rather painfully. "That's no reason for them to take your things," he said flatly. "D'you want help finding them?"_

" _Oh, no" she said, smiling at him. "They'll come back, they always do in the end. It was just that I wanted to pack tonight. Anyway…why aren't_ you _at the feast?"_

 _Harry shrugged. "Just didn't feel like it."_

" _No," said Luna, observing him with those oddly misty, protuberant eyes. "I don't suppose you do. That man the Death Eaters killed was your godfather, wasn't he? Ginny told me."_

 _Harry nodded curtly, but found that for some reason he did not mind Luna talking about Siruis. He had just remembered that she, too, could see Thestrals._

" _Have you…" he began. "I mean, who…has anyone you've known ever died?"_

" _Yes," said Luna simply, "my mother. She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day. I was nine."_

" _I'm sorry," Harry mumbled._

" _Yes, it was rather horrible," said Luna conversationally. "I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I've still got Dad. And anyway, it's not as though I'll never see Mum again, is it?"_

" _Er—it isn't?" said Harry uncertainly._

 _She shook her head in disbelief._

" _Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you?"_

" _You mean…"_

" _In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that's all. You heard them."_

 _They looked at each other. Luna was smiling slightly. Harry didn not know what to say, or to think; Luna believed so many extraordinary things…yet he had been sure he had heard voices behind the veil, too._

" _Are you sure you don't want me to help you look for your stuff?" he said._

" _Oh, no," said Luna. "No, I think I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up…it always does in the end…well, have a nice holiday, Harry."_

" _Yeah…yeah, you too."_

 _She walked away from him and, as he watched her go, he found that the terrible weight in his stomach seemed to have lessened slightly. (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, pg. 947-949)_

The train ride back to London was relatively uneventful, save for Malfoy and his cronies attempting to ambush Harry and having the misfortune of staging the attack outside several compartments of D.A. members. When everyone was finished with them, they resembled little more than slugs in Hogwarts uniforms.

When they arrived at the platform, Harry never wanted to get off less. But he followed Ron, Hermione and Ginny off the train and through the barrier. To Harry's surprise, there was an entourage to greet them. Accompanying Ron's parents were Fred and George, wearing the spoils of their booming business at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. With them, Harry was surprised to see Mad-Eye Moody, looking as sinister as ever with his wooden leg and scarred face. A bowler hat was pulled down to hide his magical eye, but Harry was sure he could see just as clearly as without it. What added more to Harry's surprise were the last two members of the party—Tonks, dressed in patched jeans and her purple t-shirt bearing the legend _The Weird Sisters_ complimented by her bubble-gum pink, spiky hair, and Remus Lupin. He looked just as weary and threadbare as usual, but Harry felt an unexpected warmth at seeing him there which eased the ache of grief ever so slightly.

"Hello, Harry," Remus said with a light smile once he was released from Mrs. Weasley's suffocating hug.

"Hi. I didn't expect…what are you all doing here?" Harry's curiosity got the better of him.

Remus smiled again. _"Well, we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."_

 _"I dunno if that's a good idea,"_ Harry said doubtfully.

 _"Oh, I think it is," growled Moody, who had limped a little closer. "That'll be them, will it, Potter?"_

Harry looked toward where Moody was pointing with one gnarled finger, and sure enough, the three Dursleys stood just beyond the entry point. They seemed utterly scandalized at Harry's reception committee, and understandably so. The group surrounding Harry was entirely _ab_ normal.

Harry nodded, still unsure what was going on, but he followed as Mad-Eye took the lead toward where the Dursleys stood.

 _"Good afternoon," said Mr. Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon as he came to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley."_

 _As Mr. Weasley had singlehandedly demolished most of the Dursleys' living room two years previously, Harry would have been very surprised if Uncle Vernon had forgotten him. Sure enough, Uncle Vernon turned a deeper shade of puce and glared at Mr. Weasley, but chose not to say anything, partly, perhaps, because they Dursleys were outnumbered two to one. Aunt Petunia looked both frightened and embarrassed; she kept glancing around, as though terrified somebody she knew would see her in such company. Dudley, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to look small and insignificant, a feat at which he was failing extravagantly._

 _"We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry," said Mr. Weasley, still smiling._

 _"Yeah," growled Moody. "About how he's treated when he's at your place."_

 _Uncle Vernon's moustache seemed to bristle with indignation. Possibly because the bowler hat gave him the entirely mistaken impression that he was dealing with a kindred spirit, he addressed himself to Moody._

 _"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house—"_

 _"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley," growled Moody._

 _"Anyway, that's not the point," interjected Tonks, whose pink hair seemed to offend Aunt Petunia more than all the rest put together, for she closed her eyes rather than look at her. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry—"_

 _"—And make no mistake, we'll hear about it," added_ Remus _pleasantly._

 _"Yeah, if we get any hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to," said Moody._

 _Uncle Vernon swelled ominously. His sense of outrage seemed to outweigh even his fear of this bunch of oddballs. "Are you threatening me, sir?" he said, so loudly that passers-by actually turned to stare._

 _"Yes, I am," said Mad-Eye, who seemed rather pleased that Uncle Vernon had grasped this fact so quickly._

 _"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" barked Uncle Vernon._

 _"Well…" said Moody, pushing back his bowler hat to reveal his sinisterly revolving magical eye. Uncle Vernon leaped backwards in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley."_

 _He turned from Uncle Vernon to Harry. "So, Potter…give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along…" (all italics, Order of the Phoenix, pg. 954-55)_

Harry nodded. He could find no words to express how much their support meant to him, so he contented himself with that promise. Then Mad-Eye and Tonks took their leave, needing to return to work. The Weasleys and Hermione also said their goodbyes, promising to get Harry away from his relatives as quickly as possible. Once they had all gone, only Remus remained.

"Take care, Harry. Keep in touch," he said, about to leave.

"Wait," Harry said, receiving a sudden spark of inspiration. Remus stopped and looked back, curious. Uncle Vernon huffed impatiently beside Harry, and he knew the conversation would have to wait. "Now isn't a good time, but…I have a favor to ask, one that requires…some explanation," Harry said, now hesitant. "Would it be possible…I mean, could you…"

"Speak, Harry. No one here is going to hurt you," Remus said, his eyes flashing dangerously toward the Dursleys as a warning.

"Right. Could…could you meet me tomorrow sometime, so we can talk?"

"Of course, Harry," Remus answered, smiling softly. "I'll send you an owl to tell you what time I can, and you can specify the location."

Harry nodded. "Thank you, Remus."

"Not a problem," the other responded. Remus touched Harry's shoulder in farewell and gave one last warning look to the Dursleys before departing.

"About time," Uncle Vernon growled, sounding quite a lot like Moody. Harry ignored him and simply followed, pushing his trolley as Uncle Vernon led the way to the car.

Harry awoke early the following morning. He had decided that there was no better time to start on his plans than now, so his first order of business was to start getting into shape. He did a few warm-up stretches, then tip-toed down the stairs and stepped outside into the cool morning air. His relatives may have been sufficiently warned, but Harry still wouldn't put it past Uncle Vernon to find something to shout at him about, even this early in the morning.

Once outside, Harry set off at a light jog around the neighborhood. He quickly realized it would take much more effort than he'd thought to get into any kind of decent shape. Quiddich, Harry realized, really wasn't exercise except for the beaters. But he was determined to make his efforts count.

Just before Harry headed to the shower, Hedwig flew through the open window with a scrap of parchment in her talons—Harry had let her free the previous evening to stretch after a day being confined in her cage. She landed on Harry's shoulder and held out her leg. Absentmindedly scratching her neck, Harry took the parchment and read the short note: _I'm available any time after 10am. Just tell me where –Remus._ Harry grabbed a quill and scratched: _At the park on Magnolia Crescent, 10am._ He then rolled it up and attached it to Hedwig's leg. She hooted and nipped affectionately at Harry's ear then took off through the window.

Once she had gone, Harry took a quick shower and started breakfast for the Dursleys. He cooked a dozen eggs and half a package of bacon and poured a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice for each Dursley, making sure to drain the pulp from Uncle Vernon's. The leftovers Harry ate quickly, finishing just as the Dursleys entered the kitchen. The cooking Harry didn't mind; it was the fact that it was never enjoyed that got on his nerves.

As they ate, Harry began the dishes and his relatives completely ignored him. This didn't bother Harry at all. They must have been sufficiently intimidated by Moody at the train station, as well, because Harry didn't get a chore list from any of them, not even Aunt Petunia. Of course, this only made Harry happier. He intended to use the time well.

It was only 8 o'clock when Harry finished cleaning up breakfast. So he decided to start clearing out his trunk and making a shopping list for whenever he got a chance to get to Diagon Alley. When he finished, there was a pile of things to be tossed or burned, which included all of Dudley's hand-me-downs but the ones Harry wore at the moment. Also included were scraps of parchment, broken quills, dried-up potions ingredients, and other detritus of five years' schooling and never cleaning out the trunk. He also included in this pile his Lockhart books and the Slinkhard book from Umbridge.

The other two piles were mostly spellbooks, either to keep or to sell secondhand—even if he didn't need them, Harry could see no point in just throwing them out; they could go to help future students. In the resell pile Harry placed his Divination books and _The Monster Book of Monsters,_ as well as all his other DADA books from every year but third and fourth year. He kept his books for all the other subjects—Transfiguration, Potions, and Charms. To his shopping list Harry added the course books for Arithmancy as well as Ancient Runes, plus a book or two on Occlumency. All Harry's other belongings were sorted into the keep or sell pile as well.

While sorting through his personal belongings, Harry happened upon the brown paper bag his godfather had given him before he got on the train at the beginning of fifth year. Ignoring the unexpected prickling behind his eyes, Harry removed the gift. Sirius had said it was a two-way mirror, that he had the other one. He doubted it would work now, but Harry kept it. Perhaps Sirius had left it at Grimmauld Place and now Remus had it. For the time being, Harry replaced it in its paper wrappings and put it carefully back in his trunk. Even if it didn't work, it was still one of his only gifts from his godfather and Harry would treasure it.

Harry glanced at his clock. It read 9:37am. Time to head to the park. Harry slipped out the front door, taking his time and enjoying his freedom. As his feet brought him nearer, he began to wonder how exactly he would explain everything to Remus. It would not be an easy task.

Harry spotted Remus from a distance, sitting on a park bench. He looked even more worn and threadbare than Harry had ever seen him, and suddenly Harry realized that he would be grieving, too, for his friend who was lost, found, and then lost all over again and this time never to return. Hedwig, who had been perched in a tree near the same bench Remus sat on, hooted at Harry's approach and flew down to meet him. She alighted on his shoulder and nipped affectionately at his ear. Remus looked up at the sound of her flight and smiled when he spotted Harry. Harry smiled back and sat in the empty space beside him on the bench.

"What's this about, Harry?" Remus asked curiously.

Harry hesitated a moment. "It's a little difficult to explain. But…I'll do my best. I hope you can keep up with me," he said with a slight smile. Remus nodded for him to continue. "After…what happened at the ministry, I realized a few things. First, the whole thing could have been avoided if I'd been better informed. Also, that…the outcome of this war rests on my shoulders," he said quietly. Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder but otherwise said nothing. "Dumbledore told me of a prophecy…I don't know if you know…"

Remus nodded. "The headmaster told all of us shortly after it was made. It's the reason your parents went into hiding."

"Have you heard all of it?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Only the first half, as much as Voldemort knows. Dumbledore said it was safer that way. But I assume you've heard it all?"

Harry nodded slowly, then took a deep breath and recited in an undertone: " _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…And the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal but he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not…And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…" (Order of the Phoenix, pg 924)_

Harry trailed off, afraid of what Remus's reaction might be. A heavy silence descended, and Harry wouldn't look at his former professor's face, not knowing what it might show. At the same time, though, telling someone else the prophecy, telling them what he now faced, was a huge weight off Harry's shoulders.

"' _Neither can live while the other survives'?"_ Remus broke the silence, his tone neutral. Harry only nodded. After another moment, Remus spoke again. "Well, I understand the situation now. So, what's your plan?"

Harry couldn't help a relieved smile. He knew when he told Ron and Hermione—because he couldn't keep this a secret from his best friends—they would both possibly go mental. Remus was more level-headed.

"Several things. In no particular order, this is what I want to do: get in shape so I can duel more effectively. I need to learn Occlumency, now that I know just how important it is. And Snape was a horrible teacher. I also want to review and expand my studies so I'll be more prepared for the final confrontation, and that includes my normal subjects as well as healing, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes. And since I can't do any of that at the Dursleys, I need somewhere else to stay, and stay inconspicuous. For that, I want to change my appearance so I'm not instantly recognized anywhere I go. And I need a way to practice magic without the Ministry knowing."

"Those are some good plans," Remus said when Harry paused for breath. "But I have to ask—why do you need me?"

"Because I can only do so much on my own. I need a teacher, a guide. And I know you'll support me and help me, even if you don't completely agree. Everyone else would worry too much or try to stop me. Plus…" Harry hesitated. "You're my last tie to my parents now," he finished quietly.

Remus smiled gently. "In that case, I'd be honored to help, cub."

Harry was about to say thank you when Remus's words registered. "What…what did you call me?"

Remus seemed confused, but then his face cleared. "What, 'cub'? My wolf recognizes you as his cub and part of the pack, and I? I've always loved you as my own son, and always will."

"Do you mean that?" Harry asked intently, his voice catching but he didn't care.

"Of course I do, cub. I love you, Harry," Remus said sincerely though he was clearly confused.

No one had ever told him they loved him before, let alone given him a nickname. He'd never had a real father figure. He'd never known what it was like to be truly cared for. And suddenly it was all too much for Harry. He was no longer Harry Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World. He was just Harry, a neglected and love-starved boy who had just lost the closest thing he'd ever had to a father. Tears came, and he couldn't stop them. Remus immediately drew the trembling teen into his arms, murmuring soothing words as his fingers carded through the boy's messy black hair.

Some minutes later the trembling stopped and Harry pulled away embarrassedly, scrubbing away the evidence of his tears. Remus gripped his shoulder, gently but firmly.

"There's no need to be ashamed of tears, Harry," he said gently. Harry turned involuntarily at the sound of his name. Remus smiled softly. "No reason at all, cub."

Harry's lips twitched at the endearment. "Thank you, Remus," he said sincerely.

"No problem at all. So, how do you plan to get started on this grand plan of yours?"

"Can you take me to Diagon Alley? I've got a vault full of gold to spend…"


	2. Preparation

Thanks to you who have reviewed! I appreciate the feedback. Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy.

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 2: Preparation**

Remus grinned. "I suppose I can manage that. Have you ever apparated before?"

"No."

"Then this will be quite the experience. Is there anything you need to retrieve first?" Harry shook his head. "All right, then. Let's get out of the open, then you grab my arm and hold on tight."

"Okay…" Harry was apprehensive now. He followed Remus into the trees surrounding the park. When Remus stopped, Harry grabbed his arm.

"All right. Ready?" Harry nodded, his mouth suddenly dry. "It helps if you close your eyes. Okay. One. Two. Three!"

On three, Harry felt Remus's arm twist away from him. He tightened his grip, squeezing his eyes shut. Then he was sucked into a suffocating tube far too narrow for him. It felt like he was being stuffed through a straw.

A heartbeat later it was over, but when they landed Harry stumbled and fell to his knees, his stomach churning. "Is it always like that?" Harry moaned.

Remus chuckled. "It does take some getting used to. It's better when you're the one apparating."

"Ugh. I think I'll stick to broomsticks," Harry said, getting unsteadily to his feet. Looking around, he discovered they were in the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron.

Still grinning at Harry's misfortune, Remus took out his wand and tapped the bricks to open the entrance to Diagon Alley. "So where to first?"

"Gringotts. I need to have money before I can spend it. Plus…I want to know if I was named in Sirius's will." That idea had only just occurred to him.

"I'm sure you were, cub." Remus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and guided him into the Alley, heading toward the bank.

Diagon Alley looked just the way Harry remembered it from all the other times he'd been. Except now, there was a hint of fear in the air. It hadn't been long enough since Voldemort's return for there to be real terror, but the people were more cautious now, less willing to be out and about for longer than necessary. Apprehension was thick. However, Gringotts was exactly the same, surly goblins and all. Harry smiled a little at the inscription above the door, remembering the first time he'd come here with Hagrid before his first year.

"What's your business?" Harry and Remus had reached the front desk. The teller goblin was predictably unpleasant, as always.

"I'm Harry Potter. I'd like to make a withdrawal, and determine if I was named beneficiary in the will of one Sirius Black." Harry tried to sound as polite and confident as possible.

"He would also like to see about getting emancipated," Remus added. The goblin raised an eyebrow, but called for an attendant. Harry turned to Remus for an explanation.

"There are only two ways to lawfully do magic outside of school while you're underage," Remus began without prompting, entering his "teacher mode." "The first is to obtain a license from the Ministry, which is not only very difficult, but it would tell the whole world that Harry Potter is doing magic. The second is much simpler and done through Gringotts—emancipation. This makes you an adult in wizards' eyes and therefore allows you to perform magic while not at Hogwarts. And, of course, the goblins keep all customer information strictly confidential."

"Then emancipation definitely seems like the better choice," Harry agreed.

A moment later another goblin appeared behind the pair.

"This is Blogrod. He is in charge of the affairs of the House of Black, and will be doing the will-reading first. Then we will see to emancipating young Mr. Potter," the teller said.

"Thank you," Harry said before following Remus and Blogrod. The other goblin's eyes widened slightly and he inclined his head toward Harry.

"You are welcome, Mr. Potter. May your gold always flow."

"And yours as well," Harry replied—it somehow felt like the right thing to say. Then he followed Blogrod, not noticing that every goblin in the lobby had their eyes on him.

"You are quite a remarkable wizard, Mr. Potter," Blogrod said.

"How so?" Harry asked, confused.

"You treat us as equals. That is not a common attitude among wizards."

"Thanks, I guess," Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. He wasn't used to getting compliments.

"It is I who must thank _you_ , Mr. Potter."

"Harry. Please, call me Harry."

"Very well. Harry," Blogrod agreed with a nod.

The three walked in silence a moment longer, then the goblin led Harry and Remus into an office. It was of decent size, with a heavy wooden desk in the middle. A hard backed chair sat facing the desk from the front. A more comfortable chair sat behind the desk. It was to this chair that Blogrod went. He motioned for Harry to take the other, and Remus stood behind him with his hands resting lightly on Harry's shoulders.

"I have here a copy of the will of one Sirius Black," Blogrod said, pulling a roll of parchment from a drawer. "I have actually been waiting for you, Mr. Potter. Mr. Black left specific instructions that you hear his will first, and if possible Mr. Lupin as well," the goblin added, nodding toward Remus. "So we will proceed. Although, I am only to read the bequeaths to the two of you."

"That's fine," Harry said. "That's all I want to know," he added quietly.

"Very well. Then I shall proceed." Blogrod unrolled the parchment and began to read. " _I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound body and mind, do seal this will…To Remus John Lupin, I leave my school books and the contents of the black trunk—he knows what I mean. I also leave 10,000 galleons and ask that he let someone help him for once. Because I can't have the guardian of the future Lord Potter in rags, no can I? Which leads me to my next point. To Remus John Lupin I leave my most precious possession—the guardianship of my godson, Harry James Potter. If certain organizations prevent this, Harry is to be emancipated. And Moony, I ask you to at least be who I can no longer be—a guide and a father figure. Be a part of Harry's life._

 _To Harry James Potter, I leave all my other worldly possessions. I love you, kid, and I'm sorry I wasn't able to be what your father intended when he made me godfather. But I love you like my own son, and I wish you the best. Trust Remus—he won't lead you wrong._

 _Signed, Sirius Orion Black."_

Blogrod looked up when he finished reading. Harry sat stiffly in his seat, staring straight ahead. Remus's hands were like vices on Harry's shoulders but still managed to tremble slightly.

"It appears young Harry is to be emancipated, according to the will of his godfather. The ministry has already declared that Mr. Lupin, due to his condition, cannot be guardian to any child but his own by blood. I will retrieve the paperwork," Blogrod said, then he left. Harry couldn't help but think he may have done it on purpose.

A moment passed and gradually Remus's grip on Harry's shoulders loosened and then disappeared. Remus rounded the chair and crouched beside Harry, putting a hand on his knee.

"Too soon?" Remus asked, his voice slightly hoarse. Harry could only nod. A moment passed in silence.

"I miss him, Moony. Merlin, I miss him."

Remus gathered the boy into his arms. "Me, too, cub."

When Blogrod returned, Harry and Remus had resumed their previous positions, slightly shaken but otherwise calm. The goblin placed a sheaf of papers on his desk, as well as a quill that looked disturbingly familiar to Harry.

"I take it you are familiar with a Blood Quill?" Blogrod said, seeing how Harry apprehensively eyed the object.

"Harry?" Remus asked, confused.

"I'll tell you later." _Maybe,_ Harry added silently. He really had no wish to divulge the source of the scars on his right hand. He nodded in response to Blogrod's question.

"Very well. All you need to do is sign where indicated. And," Blogrod began, seeing Harry trying to read through the paperwork—he wanted to know what he was getting into—"all this does is ensure you are aware you are being emancipated and you accept full responsibility for yourself. Also, that you are capable, financially and physically, of taking care of yourself."

"Okay," Harry replied, still with trepidation. He picked up the black quill gingerly, as if it might hurt him before he even used it. He placed the tip beside the first line, steeling himself for the coming pain. As the quill scratched across the parchment, the familiar, sharp, pain lanced across the back of Harry's hand. His name appeared in glistening crimson, stark against his pale skin. Identical letters appeared on the parchment. His hand healed over instantly, but the skin was still red and raw. Harry gritted his teeth as he signed the rest of the papers.

By the time Harry had finished all the paperwork, his name was scabbed across his hand and it stung horribly.

"You shouldn't be this sensitive to the quill—you didn't use it for very long," Remus muttered to himself. "Harry, may I see your hand?" Harry nodded and held out his stinging hand. Remus held it carefully, inspecting the wound. After a moment he sighed and conjured a bandage around Harry's hand with his wand. "Because of the type of magic it was caused by, I can't heal it magically. But we can properly tend to it later."

"Thanks, Remus," Harry said, secretly relieved that Remus hadn't seen the scar from the last time he'd used a blood quill.

"Now that you are emancipated, we need to see to your inheritances. You are now a legal adult in the eyes of the wizarding community. Aside from Mr. Black's bequeaths, I imagine you've inherited a sizeable fortune as a Potter," Blogrod said, slightly impatient.

"Can't I just have a bank statement or something? I have a lot I want to get done today, and we've already taken a lot of your time," Harry said.

Blogrod raised his eyebrows. "Once again you prove yourself to be a remarkable wizard, young Harry. Very well. Since you are now the possessor of the Black fortune, I will be your account manager. We can set up an appointment to go over your accounts another time. I will send you an owl with a statement. It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"And you. I really appreciate all your help," Harry answered, and Remus echoed his words of thanks. Blogrod nodded to acknowledge his words then Harry and Remus departed.

The two took a cart down to Harry's trust vault, where Harry filled a bag with as many Galleons as it could hold since he had no idea how much he would need. Remus charmed Harry's pocket to be expanded and feather-light so Harry couldn't have to carry a bulging bag of coins through the Alley.

"So where to first, Harry?" Remus asked as they left the bank.

"I want to get contacts first, then we can get clothes."

"Lead the way, then," Remus said. Harry nodded and led them to a small glasses shop he'd discovered the summer before third year, when he'd had free reign of Diagon Alley for two weeks after blowing up his aunt.

The shop assistant was thrilled to have Harry Potter in her shop. So thrilled, in fact, that she pulled out all the stops. Eventually, after quite a hassle, Harry had had his eyes tested for the first time. He'd picked out a pair of silver wire-framed, rounded-lens glasses to replace the beat-up black ones he'd had since he was twelve. Harry was amazed at how well he could see with a proper prescription for once. He also picked out several different sets of contact lenses—two pairs for everyday wear and a pair of brown-tinted contacts to help keep him anonymous when he went out.

Harry and Remus headed to Madame Malkin's next. Harry had no idea what he was getting into when he asked for an entirely new wardrobe, both wizarding and muggle. Harry had never seen anyone, ever, as excited as Madame Malkin and her assistant when he confided that he wasn't sure what he wanted and could they help him. For three solid hours Harry was dragged around the store and in and out of fitting rooms as the women tried innumerable different outfits and styles. Remus just stood to the side and watched, an amused smile on his face as he refused to rescue Harry.

Finally, Harry put his foot down, insisting that he didn't need a fourth cloak just because he didn't yet have a red one. Nor did he need a pair of extra trousers because the other six pairs he had were all the same. Though, Harry did allow himself to be talked into purchasing a pair of black dragon hide boots and a jacket of the same. Remus actually encouraged that selection. But Harry now had more than enough clothes to replace his wardrobe of Dudley's hand-me-downs. He didn't even look at the price as he handed over two fistfuls of galleons and said to keep the change. Finally Harry and Remus left. Harry opted to wear his new dragon hide boots and dumped his old trainers in the rubbish bin on the way out.

The rest of Harry's shopping went much faster. After a break for supper, Harry purchased a new five-compartment trunk and put locks on each one. He purchased all the course books for Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, a few books he knew would be useful for the following year, including _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6_ and _A Potioneer's Guide to Brewing_ , the latter because Snape was an awful teacher and Harry wanted to actually learn something about potions that year.

It wasn't until they left Flourish and Blotts that Harry realized just how late it was. He began to wonder what the Dursleys would do when he returned at 8 o'clock at night without fixing their supper. But he realized he didn't care. He'd be gone soon enough, and anything they did to him wouldn't be permanent—especially since Harry could do magic now.

Remus and Harry apparated back to the park they'd departed from after storing all of Harry's purchases in his new trunk. Said trunk was shrunk and charmed feather-light and now rested safely in Harry's pocket. Harry was about to say his farewells and leave, but Remus caught his wrist before he'd gone more than two steps.

"You said you'd explain about the blood quill," Remus said pointedly.

Harry sighed. He'd rather hoped Remus had forgotten. But he nodded. Nothing could be done about it anyway as it was in the past. He lifted his hand and unwrapped the bandages, pleased to see that now his skin had completely healed over. The dim, reddish light of the setting sun, not to mention the shadows they stood in was insufficient to see the white scar on his pale skin. So Harry lit his wand with a muttered, "lumos." The light threw the white letters into relief. Remus took Harry's hand to inspect it, and Harry heard him growl as he read the words, "I must not tell lies."

"Who—" Remus began, but he was too angry to say any more.

"Umbridge. Every time she gave me detention she made me write that, over and over. 'Until the message sunk in,' she said. I suppose this is what she meant."

"Why did you never speak up? Harry, this easily could have been stopped if you'd just told someone."

"I didn't realize it was wrong until Hermione pointed it out, and I didn't want anyone to worry. I felt like I was letting her win if I complained. But there's nothing we can do now," Harry explained, shrugging.

Remus sighed. "I understand your mindset, Harry—Merlin knows the number of times I've downplayed injuries to save others from worrying. But adults are there to help you. You could have at least told me or—" he broke off, but Harry understood.

"You would have gone mental, and he would have come storming up to the castle and gotten himself arrested," he pointed out.

Remus smiled slightly. "I can't argue with you there. But next time, please tell me if something like this happens again. I'm here for you and I want to help you, cub."

Harry smiled at the endearment. "Thanks…Moony." Remus smiled at his schoolboy nickname. "I'd better go now, or the Dursleys might skin me alive, Moody or no Moody."

Remus chuckled. "You have all of us pegged. Take care, cub. Owl me if you need anything."

"I will. I still need a house, you know," Harry said cheekily. Remus grinned and embraced his cub before apparating away. Harry returned to Number 4.


	3. Planning

Hi everyone! Here's chapter three! I know these first few chapters are a little dull, but it gets better—I promise. Also, just a heads-up, I plan to update every Saturday (it's the only day I have time). Enjoy!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 3: Planning**

After his morning run, Harry decided to dedicate the day to planning and organizing. Then, if he was able to find a house or apartment, he'd move out the very next day. No point in lingering where he wasn't wanted. It was a great feeling, being emancipated. He'd casually mentioned it over breakfast when Vernon tried to give him a chore list. Vernon had turned purple when Harry refused it, and when he "accidentally" mentioned that he could legally do magic now, his uncle turned white and practically ordered his family to leave Harry alone. They wouldn't even trust Harry to make the meals anymore.

"Who knows what the boy would do to it?" Vernon had said when Dudley asked, herding his wife and son out of the kitchen.

Harry, of course, was perfectly fine with not having to deal with them, though he would miss cooking. It was the only chore Harry enjoyed.

Once the Dursleys had gone, Harry headed to the library to do his planning and begin studying. He selected a few of his new books and a spiral-bound notebook from before Hogwarts and put them into his school bag. His books he spelled to look like ordinary textbooks.

At the library Harry located a table in the back of the non-fiction section, where it was mostly deserted. He put down his bag and went in search of some exercise guidebooks. He sat down at the table and proceeded to make a more detailed plan for himself regarding his studies as well as a list of things he needed to do before the summer ended. He even wrote out some lesson plans for himself in Occulmancy and Ancient Runes. The former was vital and his top priority now that Harry understood how important it was to learn. Ancient Runes was just the subject he was most interested in learning. As September approached, Harry would request to test out of the OWL levels for Ancient Runes and possibly even Arithmancy and take the NEWT-level classes at Hogwarts.

After coming up with a tentative schedule—which had Harry studying all day long with his only breaks for lunch and dinner—Harry decided to start looking into getting his own apartment. He asked the librarian if she had a list of available real estate in London and surrounding communities and she gave him a website. Harry thanked her, despite her surly attitude, and found an open computer.

After more than an hour of searching and sifting through options anywhere between mansion and vacation cabins, Harry found the perfect place. It was little more than a cottage, but it was sufficiently big for one person. The location on the outskirts of London on a huge plot of land was a plus. It was out of the way, which meant less interference and less likelihood of being discovered. And the plot of land was big enough that, after erecting some wards of some sort, he could even put in a Quiddich pitch if he wanted. At the very least he had the space to go flying.

According to the information, the house itself would need a lot of work, but it was nothing a little magic couldn't fix. With a little help from Remus, it would be good as new in no time. The only obstacle Harry could see was getting the agent to sell it to a fifteen-year-old. A disguise is what he needed. So Harry looked through his Charms and Transfiguration textbooks to see if there were any spells he could use to make him look and sound older.

After another hour of searching and making lists, Harry had a handful of spells that would work. He returned to the Dursleys and put a locking charm on his door to keep his relatives from bothering him. Then Harry taught himself the spells he didn't know. It took several hours for him to feel competent, but he managed it. Working in front of a mirror, he spelled his hair chin-length and not quite as black, muddied his eye color to be less memorable, and grew himself a moustache. Another spell deepened his voice and he was ready.

Harry donned all new clothes—dark trousers and shirt, plus his dragon hide jacket and boots. Glancing in a mirror, Harry was pleased to find that, with the alterations and the new clothing style, he looked at least five years older. Ready, Harry left Privet Drive and took a bus to central London. He stopped at Gringotts to change quite a few galleons to muggle money. He was wary of carrying a wad of cash through the streets as he walked to the agency selling the property, but Harry made it without incident.

It took quite a bit of convincing before the secretary was even willing to let Harry meet with the agent. Harry was forced to channel his inner Slytherin, but he finally got in. It took quite a bit more persuasion, but after some smooth talking and a mild Confundus charm, the property was Harry's.

He was excited to see the property that was now _his_ , but it was already nearly six in the evening. So he reluctantly returned to Number 4. There he made a full meal for himself and the three Dursleys; not out of charity, but simply because he liked cooking. Harry took his share and left the rest on the stove on low heat for his relatives should they choose to eat it. He knew Dudley at least wouldn't pass up a free meal.

Harry brought his meal up to his room and began idly flipping through one of his Occlumency books while he ate. Hedwig returned from her hunting soon after, soaring through the open window and alighting on Harry's shoulder, hooting softly in greeting. Harry absentmindedly stroked her feathers while he finished eating.

A short while later Harry's reading was interrupted by a loud knock on his bedroom door. Harry jumped in surprised and Hedwig hooted indignantly, having been dislodged from her perch. A little uneasy, because no one ever knocked on his door unless he'd supposedly done something wrong, Harry warily called, "come in!"

The door opened slowly but finally revealed Harry's whale of a cousin. Dudley looked around nervously and eyed Hedwig apprehensively.

"What do you want, Dudley?" Harry asked cautiously.

"I—I just…thankyouforthedinner."

"What?" Harry would swear that Dudley—spoiled Dinky Duddydums—had just said "thank you."

Dudley seemed to debate within himself but then he repeated, clearly, "Thank you, for the dinner."

Harry raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You're welcome. Then, taking a chance because so far Dudley had been civil, Harry asked, "Do you want to come in?"

His cousin hesitated but nodded and stepped across the threshold. Harry noted with some amusement that he tensed as he stepped forward, as if expecting some unknown spell to throw him back out. But of course there was no such spell. Harry moved from the chair in front of his desk to the bed and invited Dudley to take the chair (Harry doubted his bed could take his cousin's weight). He also sent a quick _Scourgify_ at his dinner dishes, whispering the incantation. Dudley started at seeing the plate suddenly clean itself, but he lowered himself nervously into the chair.

His eyes lingered on the holly wand Harry absently twirled around his fingers as well as the owl perched on his shoulder. Harry noticed his cousin's unease, but he did nothing. He wanted to see what Dudley would do. After a few seconds, Harry sent a charm at the door to close it, whispering the incantation. Dudley jumped as it shut, but there was more than just wariness in his eyes. In fact, if Harry wasn't mistaken, it was curiosity.

"Can you show me more magic?" Dudley suddenly blurted out.

Harry barely concealed his shock. "Why the sudden interest?"

"You saved my life with it last year," Dudley answered without hesitation. Then he added, "I've always been curious. But mum and dad forbade it, so I never asked."

"So why now?" Harry was more than a little surprised at the intelligence and _depth_ his cousin was showing.

Dudley seemed to hesitate, then he spoke again. "I learned the hard way that a lot of what my parents think is wrong. And last year you proved that magic isn't bad, either." There was a silence, Dudley realizing what he'd said and Harry trying to come to terms with this new side to his cousin he'd never seen before. But it was gone when Dudley next opened his mouth. "So will you show me more magic?"

Harry gave a startled laugh. He sounded like an eager child. "What do you want me to show you?"

"Show me how you saved my life last year."

Harry's brief amusement vanished. To summon a Patronus, he had to be happy. And Harry was still fiercely missing his godfather, not to mention the prophecy and everything else weighing on his shoulders. He wasn't sure he could do it. But he supposed he could try.

"All right. It's called a Patronus charm. It summons a Patronus, a sort of guardian. But it required more than just magic words to make it work. It takes concentration. And for this particular charm you have to stay completely focused on a happy thought. The more powerful the emotion, the more powerful the Patronus. Ready?"

Dudley nodded, his face reflecting rapt attention. Harry didn't pay it much heed; he was too busy concentrating.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to decide which memory would be the best to use. After a moment, he summoned an image of his parents, Sirius, and Remus. Though tainted with grief, Harry allowed his love for each adult fill him. Then he raised his wand.

"Expecto Patronum," he said softly, just loud enough for Dudley to hear.

From the end of Harry's wand burst the magnificent silver, translucent stag. Dudley gave a cry of surprise, but didn't flee. Harry opened his eyes and held out his hand, palm out. "Hey, Prongs," Harry murmured. The stag bobbed its head and bumped Harry's hand with its snout. Harry didn't feel it. Suddenly Harry realized that all the Patronus represented was out of his reach. Grief and despair clouded his mind and the Patronus vanished instantly. Harry sat down hard on the edge of the bed, not having even realized he had stood.

"Where did it go?"

Dudley's voice made Harry jump in surprise. He'd completely forgotten his cousin's presence. "I lost my concentration," Harry answered, somehow sounding normal even though he was fighting a losing battle against the grief.

"You said it only works when you're happy. It's gone, so you're not happy," Dudley stated simply, and Harry cursed his cousin's newfound intuition. Then Dudley asked a question in a tone Harry had never before heard his cousin use. "So, why aren't you happy?"

There was genuine concern in his tone, and Harry had no idea how to respond. "Why do you care?" There was no accusation, only curiosity.

Dudley paused, then spoke the most Harry had ever heard him say at once. "You've come home every summer looking like you've been through hell and back, maybe even several times. But I never bothered to find out why. I was selfish, and glad you were unhappy. Then you saved my life when you didn't have to, and got in trouble for it. And I had no idea how or why. So I decided I'd actually try and get to know the cousin I've lived with for fifteen years." Dudley's words were clear and sincere. It took Harry by surprise.

"Well, my story would take far too long if I tried to tell you everything now. And I'll be leaving in the morning, probably never to come back," Harry said succinctly.

"I don't blame you," Dudley said miserably.

"I hold no grudge against _you_ , Dud, since you've made an effort to be nice. But I have…things to do that I can't do here."

"Why not?"

"Because it involves a lot of magic, and I could still get in trouble if I use too much magic in an area with no wizards. But if you want, you can visit me every so often." Harry still marveled at his cousin's change in behavior and attitude.

Dudley nodded in response to Harry's offer, then the two made their reconciliation official with a firm handshake. Dudley then left the room, leaving Harry unsure what to do next. But he sent a note to Remus telling him that Harry had a house and he wanted to meet again so Remus could see it and help Harry get settled. Then Harry lay in bed for a while, pondering the evening's events before drifting to sleep.


	4. Action

First of all, thanks to all of you who have reviewed! I appreciate the support and feedback. I'll be replying to some of you soon, promise! And, here's Chapter 4!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 4: Action**

Harry awoke to Hedwig hooting impatiently in his ear. Still half-asleep, Harry took the note she carried then shooed her away. Hedwig hooted indignantly as she was brushed aside. Harry sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and read the note. It said, _Congratulations, cub! I'd be happy to help. 9am at the park?_

Harry glanced at his alarm clock. It was nearing 8 o'clock, so Harry hurriedly scribbled an affirmative on the back of the note and sent Hedwig off again, promising a treat when she returned. Harry then got dressed and packed his trunk. He was glad he was no longer expected to make breakfast for the Dursleys, but he still felt he ought to do something for Dudley, due to their conversation the previous night. Harry wrote a short note on a scrap of parchment and used a temporary sticking charm to _Hogwarts, A History_. Harry was doubtful of Dudley's ability to get through such a large book—he'd only read it through once—but it was the thought that counted, right? The note simply said: _I'm leaving. If you're still curious, I'm giving this to you for some background reading. Then you can send me a note. My owl Hedwig will get it to me_. – _Harry_

Harry delivered his gift via a levitating charm to put it on Dudley's desk in his room while his cousin still slept and a silencing charm on the creaky door. Harry ate a quick breakfast downstairs and then departed. He left his dirty dishes in a fit of spite toward Petunia. His bedroom Harry left bare, his full trunk shrunk and feather-light in his pocket. Harry was very grateful for summoning charms—he never would have been ready on time without them.

Harry met Remus in the park like he had before, and Remus greeted him with a hug. Then Harry spoke. "I think we'll have to take muggle transportation, because I only have an address. And don't you have to have been there before in order to apparate?"

"That is the ideal situation," Remus said with a nod. "You can also use map coordinates, but that's more dangerous, especially for side-along."

"Then we'll catch a bus," Harry said and led the way to the nearest bus station.

When the bus arrived, Harry gave the driver the address. Eventually they'd reach it, the bus driver said, especially since it was on the other side of London and there were many other stops before they would get there. But neither Harry nor Remus minded the lengthy trip. They found a pair of seats and passed the five-hour bus ride in casual conversation.

Harry told Remus what he knew about the house (and the rather humorous story of how he acquired it) as well as the study plan he'd drawn up for himself. Remus approved of the plan except, he told Harry, he needed room to relax as well. Harry conceded the point and a good chunk of the drive was spent revising his schedule to be less demanding.

Finally, they reached the closest stop to the cottage. The house itself was still a brisk walk down the road, but the bus didn't go that way. So Harry and Remus disembarked and were more than willing to walk the few remaining miles. They reached the cottage at about three in the afternoon.

The grounds were completely overgrown and the garden that surrounded the place was choked in weeds, but it still had a certain charm and there was definite potential. It would take a lot of work but could be restored. The cottage resembled the grounds—in fact it almost _was_ the grounds. Thick curtains of ivy hung from the eaves, concealing the pinkish bricks beneath. The roof was concave in some places and the door hung off its hinges, revealing an interior every bit as dusty and nature-invaded as the outside. The windows were opaque with grime and the wood flooring had collapsed in some areas.

"This is worse than I thought," Harry said, somewhat dismayed. "No wonder they wanted to tear it down. I think I was overcharged for this."

Remus chuckled. "They might not have had to if they had waited much longer. It's inches from collapsing under its own weight," he added with some amusement. "But it's nothing a little magic can't fix, and a little bit of elbow grease wouldn't go amiss either."

"Shall we get started, then?" Harry asked, grinning and rolling up his sleeves. Remus nodded. The two gingerly crossed the threshold and began casting the strongest cleaning spells they could manage at the worst of the dirt, disturbing the nests of many small rodents in the process. They began in the living area and the kitchen but ranged throughout the entire house.

Having eaten lunch on the bus from some snacks Harry had brought, they didn't stop until the sun was beginning to fade. Once the worst of the dirt was gone, Remus repaired the broken floorboards and conjured two brooms and two mops. He taught Harry to conjure soapy water from his wand, and once he could manage it, the two got to work sweeping out the dust their spells had missed and then mopping until the floorboards shone like new.

All the while they talked. It was odd and awkward at first, because Harry had never had an adult to confide in and Remus was still hesitant. But before long they were conversing naturally, as friends. Both avoided any topic or story that involved Sirius—the wound was still raw—but they swapped stories. Remus shared stories of his childhood before Hogwarts and some of the pranks he pulled with James and funny moments with Lily—she and Remus had been friends long before she fell for James. In exchange Harry recounted some of his adventures with Ron and Hermione as well as some of his incidents with accidental magic from his childhood.

"And when I woke up the next morning, all my hair had grown back, exactly as it was before. Dudley was so disappointed that he couldn't tease me anymore," Harry finished, smiling at the memory.

"You grew your hair back?" Remus asked with more interest than Harry expected.

"Yeah. Why?" Harry was confused.

"I've never heard of that happening as regular accidental magic before. But Tonks mentioned that something similar happened to her."

"Tonks? Do you reckon I might be a metamorphmagus then?" Harry asked, suddenly very interested.

"A partial one, at least. And probably a late bloomer, too—most metamorphmaguses show their talent from birth, but I've heard of a few who don't find out until their later childhood. And because you grew up not knowing magic was even possible, it hasn't happened since."

"Do you think I could do it now?" Harry asked excitedly.

Remus smiled. "You can certainly try and see what happens. And if it turns out you are, perhaps Tonks can help you with it, if you don't mind her being in on your secret."

Harry shook his head, grinning. "I wouldn't mind. So, how do I do it?"

Remus shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I would assume you just picture what you want and try to feel your magic. That's how most spells work. Just do whatever feels right."

Harry nodded then closed his eyes. He pictured the hair style he'd given himself the previous day when he went to buy the cottage. He also remembered how it felt to cast a spell successfully for the first time and tried to combine the two. It took several minutes and a lot of concentration, then Harry felt that sudden flow of magic and heard a surprised but pleased exclamation from Remus.

"Well done, cub! I assume you intended to make your hair that length?" There was laughter in his voice.

"What?" Harry turned toward Remus, confused, and felt hair brush his chin. He raised a hand and discovered he'd lengthened his hair past his shoulders. Harry smiled sheepishly. "Not that long. I guess I need more practice."

Remus chuckled. "That is quite a talent you have, though. The possibilities are practically endless."

"One more thing I'll add to my list of things to learn this summer," Harry said, part resigned and part excited.

"And we can talk to Tonks soon so we can discover the extent of your abilities. She'll be able to help you learn to control it much better than I could," Remus added. Harry agreed enthusiastically.

Throughout the rest of the evening the two worked to clean up the house and perform basic magical repairs like the ones Remus had done on the floorboards in the sitting room. Harry would frequently pause and practice his newfound abilities, making Remus laugh at his attempts. Most of the time it was a mistake, but once Harry deliberately imitated perfectly Tonks's usual style of spiky pink hair. They couldn't stop laughing for several minutes at that—it looked utterly ridiculous on Harry.

By about eight at night, the house was mostly clean, at least on the surface, and the majority of the repairs had been done. Any furniture they found was broken up and burned in the lot outside, along with trails of ivy they had been able to just pull off the house. Two rooms had been deemed livable—the sitting room and one of the two bathrooms. The kitchen was usable but not pretty. In fact, none of the house was very visually appealing. As the dirt was cleaned up badly peeling paint was revealed in rather untasteful and dreary colors. A lot of work still remained to be done, but Harry was beginning to see the charm of the cottage. He was looking forward to living there. Though, it would of course be much more pleasant once everything was properly clean and decorated.

"It's almost worse than Grimmauld Place," Harry muttered upon seeing the décor under the dirt. "At least that house is standing."

"I agree. At least this house is free from rogue dark magic," Remus pointed out.

"I guess. I still can't believe I'm voluntarily spending another summer cleaning. But let's eat something and then decide what to do next."

Remus nodded in agreement and conjured a rug for the newly scrubbed sitting room floor. Harry took out the leftovers from the food they'd purchased from a flea market on the way to the cottage. They sat on the floor and ate quickly. Both were tired as well as hungry from cleaning all day, so there wasn't much conversation.

As they finished, Harry and Remus discussed their next course of action. Harry didn't _ever_ want to go back to the Dursleys, except perhaps to visit Dudley—at one point during the day Harry told Remus about his conversation with his cousin the night before. Harry was perfectly willing to sleep on the floor or a conjured mattress I the living room, and mentioned as much. He also said that Remus was welcome to join him, as there was still a lot of work to be done and it would be more convenient for Remus. The only way, Harry said, that Remus would get out of staying the night there was if he talked to Tonks _that night_ and brought her along the next day. Of course, this was only after Remus had expressed hesitance to talk to her, for reasons he would not divulge. However, Remus agreed, his pride winning over whatever fear he had. Once they cleared away supper they cleaned for another hour or so. Then Remus conjured a mattress and bedding for Harry before apparating away.


	5. Beginning

Here's my next chapter! I hope you enjoy. And keep those reviews coming; I look forward to them.

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 5: Beginning**

"Come on, Harry! You can do better than that!"

"I'm not an auror!" came the protest.

"Though you've already beaten one," Remus said ruefully, nursing a bruised arm. Harry had hit him with a particularly powerful stinging jinx. "Well, ex-auror, anyway."

"Exactly. You're out of practice—no offense," Harry added quickly as Remus raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Her, on the other hand...insane!" he exclaimed, barely blocking a stunning charm in time and sending his own back at his opponent.

"I heard that!" Tonks called, laughingly dodging his poorly aimed spell. Without even hesitating, she then sent back a barrage of varied spells, all intended to humiliate or incapacitate without actually injuring. Out of sheer desperation, Harry dove to the ground, firing off a round of stunners with a tripping jinx and a few stinging charms thrown in. The young auror either avoided or deflected all the stunners, but the trip jinx caught her unawares. Harry's last stunner met its target in Tonks's shoulder. She went down hard, her expression one of surprise.

Remus congratulated Harry with a grin before reviving Tonks. "Ugh," she grunted, rubbing her shoulder where Harry's stunner had hit her. "You were shooting nothing but stunners the entire time. I didn't expect the trip jinx."

"That's why I did it," Harry replied, smirking in triumph.

"That is a good strategy," Remus began, "but you still ought to vary your spells. If all you do is shoot stunners and shield charms, you'll just tire yourself out and not do any damage to your opponent."

"He's right, Harry. The element of surprise is your best weapon, but there are better ways to do it. Take this, for instance," Tonks said, and she morphed her face into an exact replica of Narcissa Malfoy.

"I don't get it," Harry stated, feeling very confused.

Tonks grinned. It was a very strange expression on her current face. "Not many people know I'm a metamorphmagus. Now imagine I was dueling with Lucius Malfoy. Neither of us has the advantage, and he's using dark spells. Then imagine that in the middle of the duel, dear old Lucius finds himself facing his dear little wife. He'll hesitate—perhaps only a second, but the surprise will catch him off-guard. And that second's hesitation is all I need to deal the 'killing blow,' so to say."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "Clever," he said, an idea forming in his head. "Let's go again."

Tonks and Remus both grinned and Remus, having an idea of what Harry might try judging by the look on his face, conceded the duel to Tonks as she was clearly anxious to redeem herself.

The two combatants resumed their positions about twenty-five feet apart the trampled, overgrown yard behind Harry's newly-acquired house. Remus double-checked the protective spells that kept nearby muggles from seeing the lights from their spells. Standing well clear, he counted down slowly, then: "Begin!"

The air was immediately filled with a rapid-fire of colorful spells and shouts as the combatants cast, dodged, countered and blocked. Before too long, when Harry judged the time to be right, he closed his eyes while shouting, "lumos maximus!" He dropped to the ground immediately, feeling the passage of a spell breeze past the top of his head. Tonks was temporarily blinded by the sudden flash of light, but continued to fire spells in the same general direction. Harry rolled to one side, concentrating hard on his still-immature morphing abilities to mimic Tonks's appearance as best he could. While doing so, he cautiously made his way closer. It had been only a few seconds since his spell, and any second Tonks's sight would clear. When he was close enough, Harry started his assault anew.

Harry knew the exact moment Tonks regained proper use of her eyes. She blinked a few times, then her eyes widened in shock, her spellwork faltering. Harry grinned and threw a stunner into the opening. The young auror tried to dodge but it was too late. The spell sent her unconscious to the ground. Laughing, Remus revived her.

"You weren't a metamorphmagus last summer!" Tonks accused heatedly the moment she was conscious. "Or you wouldn't have looked so clueless when you saw me morph."

Harry adopted a sheepish grin. "To be honest, I didn't know either until yesterday. Remus figured it out, actually," he explained, and related the story of his so-called accidental magic.

"That's the initial reason we wanted your help, so Harry could learn how to use his ability. Then, of course, we remembered that you were a fully qualified auror and a good student, so you can help with his other studies as well."

"Plus an extra hand will get this place habitable twice as fast," Harry added cheekily as they reentered the cottage.

"You mean to put me to work?" Tonks's expression of mock horror was only partly faked. Harry grinned and nodded as he started assembling the food for lunch.

"You'll be a welcome help. And I daresay Harry will get tired of me before long. You have more energy than me."

"You're not old, Moony!" Harry protested. "But you are boring," He tacked on as an afterthought.

Remus smiled slightly. "Thank you for that, cub," he responded.

Lunch passed easily. Tonks interrogated Harry and Remus about Harry's metamorphmagus talents, which Harry occasionally showcased with great pride. By the time they finished eating, Tonks had a good idea of Harry's range of abilities. So, she put him to work practicing.

Harry was able to successfully imitate nearly every change Tonks demonstrated for him. It wasn't always perfect and especially at first it took several minutes. They also discovered that while Harry could alter his hair, skin color, and facial features, including eye color, any way imaginable, he was unable to make any more than the most basic changes to his body type.

"Remus was right, then—you're only a partial metamorphmagus, though you can do more than I expected. You're already pretty competent. And you have one hell of an imagination," Tonks said, smirking. "All you really need is to keep practicing until you can make any change or series of changes faster than the eye can blink."

"You seem to have more difficulty changing multiple things at once," Remus observed, glancing at Tonks to make sure he was allowed. She didn't interrupt, so he continued. "Occlumency will help with your concentration, as will silent casting."

"Do you know Occlumency?" Harry asked Remus.

"I know a bit. As a werewolf I'm immune to most mental attacks, but I know a little more of its counterpart—Legilimancy. You know, the art of entering another's mind."

Harry nodded then turned to Tonks. "Do you know Occlumency or Legilimancy?" he asked her.

"I know the basics—it's part of the requirements for auror training. I could maybe help you get to my level, but after that, you're basically on your own."

"But you _can_ help me?" Harry asked, addressing them both. "Because last time didn't end so well."

Remus grimaced sympathetically at the reference to his lessons with Snape. "I suppose. But you've still got time before this study hour ends, and I think Tonks is getting impatient," Remus said with a slight smile. Harry smiled back, a little sheepishly, and turned back to Tonks, giving her his full attention.

"Well, it's about time," she said huffily, but she winked. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Remus nodded to the pair and departed. Once he was gone, Tonks spoke. "Well, I think the only thing left for your morphing to keep practicing, so we'll do normal transfiguration. Is there anything in particular that you ever struggled with, from any year?"

Harry thought for a moment but shook his head. Transfiguration had always been one of his stronger subjects. "But I'd really like to learn conjuring," he said hopefully.

Tonks eyed him, clearly doubting that there was _nothing_ he'd ever struggled with in transfiguration. "I don't believe you, but I'll give in this time. If you have trouble with it, we're going to go through _every one_ of your course books to make sure you aren't forgetting anything," she said, grinning dangerously. Harry felt as though he ought to brace himself, though against what he didn't know. Tonks's smile just looked dangerous.

When the allotted hour ran out, Harry retrieved his brand-new Ancient Runes text and Remus, who had taken the course at Hogwarts, began Harry's first lesson in the subject. Tonks occasionally chimed in, also having taken the class though only through O.W.L. level. When she wasn't helping teach, she was helping clean or completing assignments for her own work. She was still an auror, even if she wasn't in the field. She had an easy evening shift at the actual Ministry, but to her dismay, there was still plenty of paperwork to keep her busy in and out of the office.

When Remus finished the Ancient Runes lesson—leaving Harry's brain feeling like mush—he and Tonks worked together, helping Harry increase his arsenal of spells to use during duels. They also worked on silent casting. Harry didn't make much progress in the latter the first day, but he became competent with two new, useful spells for dueling. At the end of the time the three of them had a short mock duel to test Harry's ability. By then Tonks had to leave for the Ministry, leaving Harry and Remus to work on tidying up the kitchen to take a break from spell work. Then Harry took out his Occulmency book to try and make sense of it.

Harry didn't get much out of that half-hour of studying, other than the first step to a protected mind was an organized one. The text explained that the mind—memories and knowledge—must be organized somehow to allow for a defense. At first Harry had no idea how to begin, and he felt a hint of resentment because "organize your mind!" had been one of Snape's favorite commands during Harry's disastrous Occlumency lessons with him the previous year.

After reading farther, however, the book gave a clearer explanation. Basically, one had to organize his mind like a king would prepare his castle for invasion—everything in its proper place, the important things hidden away and the weapons at the ready. The book suggested picking a setting that could be defended, and then sort one's memories within it. After some thought Harry decided to organize his mind like a bookcase. Books would represent groups of related memories or information, sections of the bookcase would be by topic, and shelves would be by year and divided into Hogwarts and the Dursleys'. He didn't have time to begin right away, but at least he knew where to start. And he decided that the easiest way would be to start with his most recent memories and work backwards.

After his break, Harry spent an hour with Remus learning about healing and healing spells. When Harry asked how he knew so much, Remus said it was because of his time with the Marauders with pranks going wrong, not to mention the many full moon romps they'd had. James and Sirius had forced him to learn the spells and then teach them.

As already evidenced in Harry's third year, Remus was a very effective and patient teacher. Harry learned three simple healing spells in the hour allotted as well as the basic theory behind them. The same was true of Potions, which came after dinner. Remus took the time to explain the _why_ behind the use and preparation of ingredients in terms Harry understood and patiently correct him when he made a mistake. As a result Harry learned more in that single hour from Remus than he had in five years with Snape.

"Why did I never think of tutoring before?" Harry lamented as he bottled his third successful potion of the evening, knowing exactly _why_ it was successful.

Remus chuckled. "You'll have to find that out on your own."

Harry grinned and nodded, then he joined Remus in clearing their brewing area. Afterward they moved into other areas of the house, slowly but surely making the little cottage livable. It may even be worth it to get extra furniture by the end of the week, Harry thought as he surveyed the restored bedroom they'd been working on.

It was in the last hour before going to bed that Harry began the process of organizing his mind. He started with that day, carefully cataloguing the things he'd learned as well as memories of the banter he'd shared through the day with Remus and Tonks. Then he slowly worked backwards, day by day. Remus sat nearby in a conjured chair reading one of Harry's new Defense texts.

It wasn't long before Harry realized just how _many_ memories he had, and how many were completely insignificant yet still necessary to organize. With that he realized why skilled Occlumens were in such low supply. The process was incredibly tedious, more so than the average witch or wizard would bother with. But Harry now recognized just how important it was that he learn the skill, and so he took his time with each one, sorting it carefully into its place. By the time Harry decided to go to bed, he'd only made it back to his last day at Hogwarts, just over a week ago. But Harry was willing to put forth the effort if it meant he could end this war sooner rather than later.


	6. Learning

Hi again everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews. They encourage me to keep writing! Enjoy the next chapter!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 6: Learning**

Two weeks flew by on Harry's new schedule. The little cottage had completely been refurbished and furnished as well as decorated. The unlikely trio had just finished painting two days ago and the walls were now a warm chestnut color. The three bedrooms were decorated per the preferences of their respective inhabitants. Harry had willingly allowed Remus to move in to one of them—in face he'd practically begged the older man to stay—and had invited Tonks to do the same. She'd thought on it for two days but eventually agreed. "It beats paying rent," she'd said, "plus I get to corrupt a little sixth year," she teased.

"You'd better play nice," Harry answered, "because I reserve the right to kick you out—it _is_ my house."

Aside from cleaning and redecorating, Harry was also on a roll with his studies. It was the first time he'd been allowed to learn at his own pace without competing with others or worrying about what they might think and he was thriving. As he progressed in Occlumency, everything else came easier. It was easier for Harry to concentrate now that his mind wasn't as cluttered with useless information (or unfounded worries). Harry's morphing had also improved leaps and bounds since he'd first discovered the talent. It was still difficult for him to make multiple changes at once, but he could change his hair nearly as fast as Tonks could.

Harry had also mastered his first silent spell just the previous afternoon. It was only the _lumos_ charm, first-year material, but it meant the rest would come easier. He'd spent the day virtually euphoric and had learned several other silent spells in the wake of it. Harry's knowledge and familiarity with Ancient Runes was growing as well. He'd made a simple talisman imbued with runes to create a weak shield. It would only repel one or two low-powered jinxes before it collapsed, but it was a huge success for Harry, who'd known nothing about Ancient Runes twelve days ago. Arithmancy, as well, was coming along and Harry was beginning to understand the basics of spell creation, a fact with which he was excited.

In addition, under the tutelage of two aurors Harry was quickly becoming a proficient duelist, learning strategy and expanding his repertoire of available spells. Harry was amused when Remus demonstrated the pluses of trick spells in duels. The main goal was to incapacitate the opponent, and a _tallantalegra_ worked just as well as a _stupefy_ for that purpose, not to mention the element of surprise. Tonks still bested Harry at every opportunity, but he was quickly catching up. He'd defeated Remus twice now and it was becoming consistent.

Outside Harry's haven, however, things were growing darker. Harry read the _Daily Prophet_ every day when Remus finished it, and each day he read grim reports. Stories of disappearances appeared more and more frequently and Dementors were everywhere. The weather, even, was adversely affected by their presence, making the summer cooler and wetter than even England usually was, not to mention the fog. The darkness hadn't truly reached the area Harry's cottage stood, but farther north it was everywhere. Stories of Voldemort sightings appeared only occasionally so far, but it was only a matter of time.

The growing chaos and fear outside only increased Harry's determination to learn everything he could and become the very best he could become. He threw himself into his studies, set on being as prepared as possible when the time finally came to face Voldemort. In fact his concentration was almost single-minded, leaving very little room to think about anything else. And when werewolves were mentioned in the _Prophet_ as a caution with the approaching full moon, Harry determinedly added one more thing to his list of skills to acquire.

"Can you help me become an animagus?" Harry asked Tonks during their usual Transfiguration time. He had already ensured that Remus was nowhere nearby before he spoke. He was, in fact, resting as the full moon was tomorrow.

"I can try," Tonks replied dubiously. "I'm not one myself, though I have attempted. I just don't have the patience for all the required study. But it can be dangerous. Why do you ask?"

"My dad, Sirius, even _Wormtail_ ," Harry spat the name with contempt, "all became animagi to help Remus on the full moons. And now that Sirius is—now that Remus is alone, his transformations will be harder. I want to help him, like they did." He and Tonks ignored Harry's near-slip.

"Wouldn't Remus be a better option, then, since he's familiar with the process?"

Harry shook his head. "I want it to be a surprise. He probably wouldn't let me, say it's 'too dangerous' or some other crap. I'll do it on my own if I have to, but you're the Transfiguration master. I figured you could help."

Tonks smiled and shook her head at the flattery. "I'm not sure I would say _master_ , but I can at least keep you from getting stuck half-pig," she teased.

"Who's a pig? You're the one always imitating its snout!" Harry protested indignantly and shot a spell at her in retaliation.

Tonks blocked his spell good-naturedly. "Now hold on. Dueling practice isn't for another forty minutes. You can get me back then, without destroying your house in the process."

"Fine," Harry relented. "But you'd better watch out," he cautioned with a grin. "And, can we start now?" he asked, changing the subject back to the matter at hand.

Tonks shrugged. "I suppose. Read the section on animagi in your third year textbook, then we can discuss it. I'll find some more material for later."

"Okay," Harry agreed. He was slightly disappointed but realized the sense in her instruction. He found the correct textbook and read:

 _Ordinary Transfiguration of a human into an animal's shape results in the human having an animal's brain, and thus being unable to remember what he or she was supposed to be doing. Retaining one's human mental capacities while still taking on an animal's form is a highly advanced form of Transfiguration, and can go horribly wrong. Consequently, those who can master this Transfiguration are quite rare in the wizarding world; they are referred to as Animagi. More precisely, an Animagus is a witch or wizard who has the ability to Transfigure herself/himself into an animal at will while retaining her/his mental powers, such as the ability to think as a human._ (HP Lexicon)

 _The process of becoming an Animagus is a complex one. The witch or wizard must first identify her/his animal, which is accomplished through meditation or the use of a potion (see_ Moste Potente Potiones _for the complete list of ingredients and brewing process). Once the animal is identified, the wich or wizard must become intimately familiar with that animal's anatomy, habitat, behavior, etc. and then transform her or his body to assume that animal's characteristics. The Animagus transformation is a form of wandless magic; that is, the magic does not come from an incantation, but rather from the wizard himself. It requires an immense level of concentration and self-consciousness to correctly make the transformation and return to human form. Because of the danger involved with the Animagus transformation, it is not a recommended pursuit._

That was it. Nothing new, really, other than the bit about a potion and the wandless magic. Harry looked up from the text to see Tonks with a conjured mirror, studying her curly silver hair in the glass.

"Haven't you already seen practically every combination available by now?" Harry asked, eying the mirror incredulously.

"Are you kidding? The possibilities are endless! Besides, it's fun. Someday you'll understand the appeal," Tonks responded. "Now, tell me what you read."

Harry briefly summarized the two paragraphs he'd read and answered his question about the wandless magic. She then related her own experience with the transformation upon Harry's asking.

"I figured it would be useful as an auror—you know, a quick getaway if things go south. So I studied it and got as far as discovering my form—which is a chameleon, by the way. I started studying its anatomy so I would know what I had to turn into, but I didn't get very far. I got bored and busy, and I haven't been able to change anything yet. Maybe this can be a team effort. What do you say?"

"Sounds good to me," Harry answered.

"All right. I'll make the potion; I have the recipe filed somewhere from when I did it. Unless you'd rather try meditation?" Harry shook his head. "I didn't think so. If I can find the directions, I'll have it ready by tomorrow, the next day at the latest."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, Tonks. It really does mean a lot to me."

"Not a problem," she answered. "Now, are you ready to play?" Harry nodded. Tonks referred to a sort of game they'd invented and she had dubbed "copycat." Tonks would morph something and Harry would have to copy it as quickly and accurately as he could. Since Tonks would often go lightning fast, with multiple changes at once, it really helped improve Harry's concentration. When they first started, it had taken at least a full minute for Harry to make the changes. Now he nearly matched her, only taking a maximum of twenty seconds to change more than one feature at a time. At the end Tonks was clearly proud of his progress.

Once the time for Transfiguration ended, the pair went outside and Tonks set up targets for Harry to practice on. "Your speed and ingenuity are remarkable, but your aim is horrible, kid," she said with a grin to explain the targets' purpose.

"But I've hit you every time!" Harry protested.

"That's because you send a barrage of spells in the same general direction. One of them is bound to hit. But that's not a good strategy; you'll only exhaust yourself. In a life-or-death duel, you can't rely on luck. You have to hit hard, fast, and accurate. So that's what you'll be working on today." Seeing Harry's irritation, she relented a little. "If it makes you feel any better, I was a horrible shot when I first started Auror training. It took all three _years_ of the training and tons of practice to get where I am now, and I'm still only barely average according to Dawlish. So don't get discouraged. Be patient with yourself and it will come."

Harry sighed. "Fine. I'll give it a shot. Pun intended," he added as Tonks laughed at his word choice.

"Good. Oh, did I mention? I want you to try to do this as quietly as possible. If you can't cast silently, at least whisper the incantation—no need to tell your enemy exactly what you're going to hit him with," she added with a wink. Before Harry could protest, she shot a stream of spells at him.

Harry blocked or dodged them all, then attacked with a fury. He aimed mostly at the targets once Tonks backed off, but he successfully hit her several times on purpose in retaliation, pretending his aim was simply off. By the end of practice, the targets were covered with burn marks, but the more recent ones were clustered at least a little closer to the bull's-eye. Harry had also lowered the volume of his voice to a harsh whisper—so far he could only cast a handful of spells silently, though all were good dueling spells, including the shield charm. Harry had made it a point to focus on those first after he got the hang of first-year spells as those would be the ones he'd need the most.

Tonks and Harry ended the practice with a mock duel, and Harry came closer than ever before to beating her. He still ended up on his back in the grass, either Stunned or afflicted with some other spell to take him out of the duel. But he was making definite progress, and Harry felt a surge of self-satisfaction when he noticed that Tonks was breathing heavily by the end of their practice.

After the duel Remus was ready to help Harry with book studies—Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Charms theory. Due to the approaching full moon, Remus wasn't up for much else. But that was okay with Harry. He sat in a chair by Remus's bed to read and the other man was there to answer his questions or demonstrate the wand movement and the like for Harry.

At six o'clock they ate dinner, then Tonks, who was off-duty that night, helped Harry with Potions. He was up to fourth year-level brews and was making rapid progress. Tonks seemed impressed. She was never the star of her Potions class, but she was competent. However, when it was explained to him properly Harry seemed to have an instinctual feel for the brewing process, and an enthusiasm that had never been present before. That was due entirely to Snape—why bother making an effort if he'd only be insulted for it?

Harry took the rest of the evening to practice Occlumency. By this time he'd nearly made it through all of fifth year, and he'd stayed current as well. There were a handful of memories he'd deliberately skipped over from the previous year, wanting to put off the moment he'd have to relive them. But, it would be difficult to continue without cataloguing those, especially considering the events of the previous summer. So Harry finally decided to just grit his teeth and get it over with. He just knew it would be anything _but_ easy.

Harry sat in the sitting room against the window seat. Tonks was in a chair nearby, going through files from the Ministry. Harry warned the young auror what he was about to do and told her to disregard anything he may do or say half-consciously. "And definitely don't surprise me, or you'll get hexed," he said, perfectly serious.

"All right," Tonks answered, a concerned look on her face. "I'll be here if you need me. No matter what happens, Harry, you're not alone."

"Thanks," he answered, sincerely grateful. He was beginning to look up to Tonks as he would an older sister, fun to tease but someone he could rely on for support. She smiled reassuringly and nodded, then Harry closed his eyes and dove into his memories.

Harry began first with his detentions with Umbridge. He'd put those off mostly because they would frustrate him and make it hard to concentrate if he continued. But he did it. His hands balled into fists, the white scars on his hand standing in stark relief as he remembered her deliberately offensive comments and the blatant torture. He had to take a few minutes to calm down before he could continue. When he did, he cautiously ventured into the memory of his "dream" just before Christmas with Nagini in the Department of Mysteries.

Harry shuddered at how _real_ it had felt, and how terrified he was for Mr. Weasley, even though Harry knew the man was fine, six months later. The glimpses of the Department of Mysteries triggered other memories he was forced to suppress for the time being. But Harry dreaded delving into those memories. He was building up to the fiasco at the ministry just a month previous, and he wasn't sure he was ready. However, it would be nothing compared to the Third Task.

Once his foray into Nagini's mind was carefully filed away under the heading of "Voldemort," Harry braced himself. He could no longer put it off, though he'd been trying not just since starting Occlumency, but since the moment it was over. The last thing he wanted to do was relive his third-worst memory (the first, of course, being Halloween 1981 and the second being the graveyard). Warily, keeping his emotions under lock and key, Harry allowed his mind to slip back to the beginning of his History of Magic O.W.L.

Watching his "vision" over again and replaying Hermione's words made Harry realize just how senseless his supposed rescue attempt had been. He kicked himself over and over again. _Why_ had he been so stupid as to believe it? _Why_ hadn't he listened to Hermione, who had never _once_ led him wrong? Was she right? Did he _like_ playing the hero? Did he really, somewhere unconsciously, actually _want_ the attention?

These thoughts and more swirled through Harry's mind, but he forced them away and concentrated only on the memory. He pushed down a surge of anger at Kreacher's lie. He couldn't help but smile when Grawp rescued them and Umbridge was chased away by a herd of centaurs. And he felt a surge of affection for Ginny, Neville, and Luna, who willingly came with him and stood by him, putting themselves in danger just because he was their friend. But then Harry's heart started pounding as he recalled their threstrals landing at the visitor's entrance to the Ministry and returned to the Hall of Prophecy.

He watched the duel that ensued as though for the first time. His body was tense, ready to spring. Relief washed through him as the Order appeared. But Harry had to fight to make himself keep watching as Sirius dueled Bellatrix. She'd only hit him with a Stunner, but he fell backward through the grey veil. His heart wrenched and his eyes burned as his godfather disappeared behind the softly billowing curtain. Harry wanted to back out, to make it stop, but he forced himself to continue to the end of the memory.

Harry watched again as Dumbledore dueled with Voldemort, felt the horror of possession by the latter and the fresh grief that shoved the snake-like man out of his head. Harry remembered the events in Dumbledore's office, destroying his trinkets and hearing the prophecy for the first time. He couldn't even bring himself to feel guilty for the things he'd said to the headmaster. After watching again the sun rise through Dumbledore's office window, Harry allowed the memory to fade as he finished locking up the different elements. When he finally finished, he felt just as exhausted as he had been that night. The grief for Sirius was fresh and agonizing.

Without opening his eyes, Harry pulled his legs up to his chest and hid his face behind his knees. Tears he hadn't let himself shed that night finally fell. An arm fell around his shoulders and without thinking Harry leaned against her, struggling to regain control. Tonks squeezed his shoulders gently. She said nothing, but Harry sensed their shared grief and her concern for him. But Harry refused to lose it in front of her. After a few minutes, Harry straightened and stood, drying the tears discreetly. He bid the young auror goodnight and retired to his room.

It took some time to fall asleep, but when he did Harry had his first nightmare of the summer—up to that point he'd been too exhausted at night to do anything but sleep soundly. Once more Harry relived the Ministry fiasco, but this time Remus didn't hold him back and he followed Sirius through the veil to rescue him only to find he didn't want to return. He also blamed Harry for his death. Harry woke with a muffled cry of protest. He was shaking and covered in sweat and he couldn't get dream-Sirius's words out of his head.

After allowing himself a few minutes for his breathing to slow, Harry slipped out of bed and padded down to the kitchen, knowing he'd never get back to sleep anytime. He hoped a mug of hot chocolate would calm his nerves.

Once his drink was ready Harry sat down at the table he'd only had for a week, cradling the mug in his hands. He wished the warmth would fill the cold emptiness in his heart and not just warm his hands.

Harry had just taken his first sip when a _thud_ echoed from the hallway, followed by a muffled curse. A moment later Tonks staggered around the corner. Her hair was a mess and unusually long, the color of a cloudy night sky. Harry had long since learned that Tonks's morphing often revealed her mood, especially when she wasn't on her guard. And from the fact that she hadn't even bothered to morph away the bags under her eyes told Harry she was also having a rough night.

Tonks made herself a mug of chocolate and sat beside Harry at the table. "Can't sleep?" she asked, her voice unnaturally subdued.

Harry shook his head. "Nightmare," he said quietly.

Tonks smiled slightly. "Me, too," she admitted. "I take it was a bad one?" she asked gently and Harry realized she was eyeing his hair. Ever since he'd become used to his morphing abilities, his hair would change color to reflect his mood if he wasn't careful. Right now, it probably exactly matched hers.

"Yours was, too," Harry murmured.

Tonks twirled a strand of hair around her finger and smiled sadly. "Our morphing betrays us," she said, but Harry noticed that she didn't bother to change it. Harry shrugged and looked down at his mug, images and accusations from his dream still swirling around in his mind. He felt Tonks's eyes on him but ignored it. Then she put her arm around him and squeezed gently. "Do you want to talk about it? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," she said with a hint of teasing.

Harry hesitated a moment, then opened his mouth and was about to explain when Remus suddenly appeared. He looked even more haggard than usual, his eyes shadowed and his hair a tangled mess. His dressing grown was rumpled and he moved stiffly. Remus went straight to the counter and filled a mug with water from his wand which he then heated before adding a tea bag. Curling his fingers around the steaming mug, he turned around and finally noticed the other inhabitants of the kitchen.

When Remus saw Tonks and Harry, he smiled softly. "Looks like a bad night for all of us," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

"What's your story, then?" Tonks asked, a smirk on her face though Harry could tell it was at least partially forced.

Remus's smile returned. "I imagine the same as yours. I had a nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep, and I thought a hot drink would help. The company is, of course, is better even than that."

"You sound like Dumbledore," Harry murmured.

"I take that as a compliment," Remus said, pulling up a chair and sitting at the table on Harry's other side. "Have you been here long?"

Harry shrugged while Tonks answered. "Five, maybe ten minutes. And Harry's cocoa is still hot, so he probably hasn't been here much longer." She smiled a little and nudged Harry's arm. He frowned but remained silent. "By the way, Moony, would you like to share your nightly horrors with us?"

Remus raised an eyebrow at the nickname. Tonks had picked it up from Harry but only used it to tease him.

"Not particularly, but if you go first I'll oblige," Remus answered, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Tonks hesitated, and Harry, for the first time, saw her look uncertain and maybe even afraid. He nudged her and tried to smile reassuringly. She smiled back and nodded. "If Harry does, too," she consented. "We're all in this together, right?" Harry nodded, though he wasn't looking forward to sharing his fears. "Let's go somewhere more comfortable," she suggested, and led the way out to the sitting room. She and Harry sat on the window seat and Remus levitated a chair over. When they were all settled, Tonks related her nightmare while the three of them sipped at their drinks.

At first she teasingly blamed Harry for it, as he'd warned her that he would be going through the night at the Ministry in his Occlumency. The gist of it was, she had relived her own experience that night and recalled her fear and grief. Tonks didn't look directly at either of them during the telling. Though outwardly she seemed calm and mostly unfazed, from his proximity to her Harry could tell she was shaking slightly. And he remembered that she'd lost a cousin and friend as well. Harry hesitated as he'd never done such a thing before, but he put his arm around her. She seemed surprised, but then she smiled in gratitude and leaned against him. She had long since told Harry that he was the little brother she never had and now got to corrupt. Harry wondered if this was what it meant to have a sister—a family.

"It's your turn, Moony," Harry said, summoning a smile.

Remus exhaled, not quite a sigh. "I suppose it is. You recall that tomorrow is the full moon?" At their nods, he continued. "It's my first full moon alone since...Harry discovered Sirius's innocence," he said, no one commenting on the slight pause. He went on to describe what he expected that full moon to be like and had lived it in his nightmare at its worst. Then, hesitantly and not without a bit of coaxing, Remus admitted that he was scared.

Without even hesitating (and surprising even himself) Harry hugged the older man who was already like a father to him. Remus hugged him back and for several moments didn't let go. But finally he released Harry and the latter returned to his seat. "It's your turn, cub," Remus said quietly.

Harry hesitated a long minute and tried to stall. "It's getting qu—quite late," he said, faking a yawn. "And Tonks is already falling asleep," he said teasingly. Tonks turned to look at him, a fierce look in her eye, and it took a second for Harry to realize that the intense fire in her eyes wasn't for him—it was a result of what Remus had said. It confirmed the suspicions he'd had growing for a while, that she had feelings for Remus beyond that of a friend.

"Now, cub, we made a deal," Remus said softly but with a smile. Harry exhaled heavily, not unlike Remus had done before. But finally he relented after feeling Tonks reassuringly squeeze his shoulder.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, Harry began in a low monotone to describe his nightmare. He explained how he'd followed Sirius through the veil in an attempt to rescue him, described the situation, the words he'd said. "And then he blamed me for his death, for being stupid enough to believe the vision. And…he's right. It _is_ my fault. If I had just listened to Hermione, none of it would have happened," Harry finished. His voice cracked.

"Stop right there, Potter. It is _not_ your fault. All of us were there; we know what happened. And it was _not_ you who struck the killing blow. You did what any true friend would have done, and to be honest I admire your courage and loyalty." To Harry's surprise it was Tonks, and not Remus, who jumped to his defense. As a result, it resonated more and Harry _almost_ believed her. But that didn't erase the guilt, or the grief.

At Tonks's words, the barrier between grief and tears crumbled. Hot tears spilled down his face and Tonks was the first to embrace him. A firm hand also landed on his shoulder, squeezing gently, and Harry knew it was Remus.

After a while, Harry calmed and his tears slowed. He pulled away from Tonks with a mumbled thanks and dried his tears on his pajama sleeve. He said goodnight and thanked Remus, then he headed to his room without another word, leaving a puzzled auror and a concerned werewolf behind him.


	7. Progress

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late and somewhat short update. It was the best place to break the chapter. Also, thanks to everyone who has stayed with the story thus far, and thank you for all your reviews! Feel free to comment and tell me what you'd like to see. I may not take your ideas, but any feedback is welcome! But on to the chapter!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 7: Progress**

The next day the little cottage was tense with tangible anxiety. The reason was obvious but no one wanted to mention it—the rapidly approaching full moon. Tonks was pretending it wasn't happening and Remus was simply resigned. Harry was afraid for the older man and wished he could help. Very little was accomplished throughout the day, other than an unusually intense clean sweep done by Tonks, whose blue-grey hair did nothing to hide her apprehension. Harry wished he could say or do something to make the atmosphere lighter, but words escaped him. Finally, as the sky turned orange behind the dismal clouds, everything broke out at once.

"Are you sure we can't just set up a place here?"

" _No,_ Dora. I already told you. It's too dangerous and it's too late anyway." Remus's voice was tight.

"He's dealt with this his whole life, Tonks. He can handle himself," Harry butted in.

"Thank you, Har—"

"But what if something happens? How—"

"Careful, your hair is giving you away." Harry smirked.

"Shut up, Harry. It is not. Are you sure, Remus?"

" _Yes,_ Dora. I'm sure. And if you don't let me go you'll have a feral werewolf on your hands."

"Go, Moony. I'll deal with her. Just…be careful, okay?"

Remus smiled, though his face was tense. "I will, cub. Thank you."

"Wait! You need—" The door shut behind Remus, effectively cutting off her protest. Tonks fell into a kitchen chair, her hair flashing four different shades of blue and fuchsia.

"Well, if he didn't already know before, he knows now." Harry observed calmly, sitting beside her.

"Know what? What are you talking about?"

"That you fancy him," Harry said plainly.

"I—what? How—? No, I don't!" Tonks exclaimed, her entire head turning tomato red.

"You're red," Harry pointed out, still calm. While Tonks frantically tried to control her morphing, he continued. "It's obvious to anyone paying attention. And unfortunately for you, I notice little details. I just don't usually say anything."

Tonks sighed but didn't bother to deny it any longer. "How are you so calm? He's like an uncle to you."

Harry didn't bother telling her that Remus was more a father than an uncle. "I'm not. I'm terrified for him. I just know there's nothing I can do about it." _Yet,_ he added mentally. "And like I said, he knows how to handle it. You're just angry because this is the first time it's been real to you."

"He's rubbing off on you," Tonks observed with a fond smile. Harry shrugged. "There's still time before bed. Are you going to study any more?"

"Probably just Occlumency. What are you going to do?"

Tonks faked a huge yawn. "I'm going to head to bed," she answered, stretching dramatically.

Harry didn't believe her for a second, but it wasn't worth mentioning. He shrugged and headed to the sitting room. He sat on the floor against the window seat, his favorite place for meditation, and slipped into the trance to sort through his memories. He'd finished fifth year, so he started fourth year, from before the third task—he'd tackle _that_ one, and the summer, later. Once Harry had made it through the months between the second and third tasks he decided to call it a night. He stood and stretched, then headed to bed.

Just as he was drifting off, an earsplitting, anguished howl shattered the night. Harry sat bolt-upright in bed, every hair standing on end. His heart was suddenly beating a thousand times a second and he found his wand in his hand. Then memory returned and Harry realized it was Remus, realized that he was a werewolf at that moment, that this was Moony's first full moon alone and without wolfsbane for a very long time. The agonized, painfully lonely howl was now forever etched in Harry's memory. No matter what Occlumency tricks he applied Harry would not be getting any more sleep that night.

Harry went down the hall to make a cup of cocoa and figure out what to do the rest of the night. He found Tonks seated at the kitchen table, now wearing pajamas but otherwise was exactly the same from when he'd left her earlier that evening. She wasn't even trying to hide the anxious grey of her hair.

"Can't you sleep?" he asked, abandoning his designs for cocoa and joining her at the table.

Tonks shook her head. "Especially not after _that_." She shuddered. "I'm scared for him."

"Me, too," Harry murmured, glancing at the door through which his surrogate father had left just hours before. "Don't you have any ideas for distraction? You're good at that."

Tonks forced a laugh. "Usually, yes. Now?" She shook her head. "I've got nothing."

"Well, we might as well be comfortable while we stay up all night," Harry said and rose to go to the sitting room. He sensed Tonks a few steps behind him. He also heard her whispered, "accio," before a rush of air was followed by a dull thump. When she entered the sitting room, Harry saw that she'd Summoned her pillows.

"Sleepover?" she suggested with a small smile, holding up the pillow. Harry nodded and Summoned his own bedclothes. Unfortunately, he wasn't as good at Summoning multiple things at once, so while the pillow reached his hands the comforter he missed. It collided with Tonks, burying her under thick cloth. Tonks emerged from the tangle of blanket with an evil glint in her eye and Harry had no time to react before a pillow hit him full in the face. He took a moment to be glad for permanent contacts and immediately retaliated.

Quickly a pillow fight ensued, escalating quickly into a duel of trick spells. Magically multiplied pillows were propelled across the room by wands rather than hands. Harry's seeker skills helped him avoid the most humiliating of spells, but Tonks's auror training gave her the upper hand. Eventually Harry found himself at the mercy of her wider repertoire of spells and greater experience and finally surrendered. Then they both lay panting on the piles of blankets for several minutes.

A time passed in silence, broken by an occasional chuckle as they relived particularly entertaining moments, then Harry remembered something and spoke. "Is the Animagus potion ready?"

"Oh! Yeah—I finished it this morning, actually. Luckily it doesn't need to brew for very long."

"Can I take it now?" Harry asked. Tonks gave him a quizzical look so Harry explained. "I don't want to _ever_ watch Moony go through one more night alone if I can help it," he said quietly.

Tonks smiled sympathetically. "All right. Let's get it, and I'll try it again, too." Harry nodded followed Tonks to the potions lab. They filled two goblets of the murky liquid, which was exactly as much as she had prepared, and carried them back out to the sitting room.

"All right," Tonks began once they'd sat down again. "This potion will put you into a trance, in which you will discover your animagus form. The time varies from person to person, and since it's already so late it's likely we'll both 'sleep' until morning. Pay close attention to _all_ your senses while in the trance, because that's how you'll discover what you are and give you a starting point for the actual transformation. If you can't get it this time, you'll have to wait at least two weeks before you can try again."

"I understand. I'm ready," Harry said determinedly.

"Are you sure?" Tonks asked.

"I'm sure," Harry said firmly.

"All right, then." Tonks handed him a goblet. "Cheers," she said. Harry raised his glass slightly, then downed the bitter potion in one go, trying not to gag. It had a distinctly earthy taste. An instant later Harry was somewhere very different.

 _He was running along the forest floor, nose to the ground, tracking the fleeing hare. It was just for sport; he felt no need to hunt. A thousand scents filled his nose but he recognized every one of them. His eyesight was sharp in detail but dull in color. The dirt gave beneath his paws, wind from his run ruffling his fur. His ears were pricked for any odd sound, but all he heard was his own passage through the trees, interrupted by the occasional chirp from a bird or insect. A faint trickle of water grew louder with every step. Before long he came to a pond, fed by a tiny stream tripping over rocks at one end. Winded and panting, Harry paused for a drink. In the water he saw the reflection of a russet-black snout and round eyes of a piercing emerald. A patch of lighter fur on his brow vaguely resembled a lightning bolt. Trees rippled in the reflection and a bird of prey soared overhead in the cloudless sky._

 _Suddenly Harry was soaring high above, sharp eyesight picking out the form of a russet-black wolf drinking from a pond and a brown rabbit scampering on ahead. Harry wheeled for a better angle, then plunged down in a high-speed dive toward the hare. Just inches before he caught it in his curved talons, everything went black._

Harry blinked rapidly, disorientedly coming out of the potion-induced trance. For a brief moment he still felt airborne, then he heard a loud yawn. Mentally crashing back to earth, Harry sat up and shook his head, readjusting to the indoor setting. He looked to his left and saw Tonks sitting up and stretching.

"So, how did it go?" Tonks asked, grinning. Harry couldn't help but laugh at her appearance. Her hair was tangled and the color of dirty snow with brown streaks in it. It looked quite ridiculous. She looked very affronted.

"You seem to have managed a partial transformation. It looks like you spent the night rolling around in the dirt," Harry explained, smirking. Tonks slapped his arm, making him yelp. Harry quickly changed the subject before she retaliated further. "W-what time is it?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

Tonks narrowed her eyes at him but answered with a quick _tempus_ spell. "It's just after four in the morning." Her expression turned thoughtful. "That was a long one. Maybe I made the potion a bit too strong."

"Definitely," Harry answered, unable to stop himself from teasing her. "So where did the potion take you?"

Tonks smirked and wagged her finger at him. "Ah-ah. I asked first. You were cheeky. This is your punishment."

"You hit me. And you're older. You go first," Harry responded. Tonks narrowed her eyes again, but gave up the fight. For the time being.

"Fine. Apparently I'm not a chameleon anymore."

"Can that happen?" Harry asked, confused.

"Once you _become_ an animagus, actually make the transformation, your form won't ever change. But if you delay the process too long, like I did, it can change based on personality. It's like a Patronus in that way."

Harry nodded absently, wondering just how unusual it was for him to have seen two animals rather than one. "If you're not a chameleon anymore, then what _are_ you?"

Tonks smirked again. "You first. You're the student."

Harry pouted but complied. "It's a little complicated. I'll just explain," he said, and related the details he could remember from his experience, being sure to make it clear he'd seen and been two separate animals. Tonks had been nodding, as though he was confirming a guess of hers, as he told about the wolf, but when he began to explain about the bird her eyebrows raised significantly.

When Harry finished there was a long moment of silence while Tonks absorbed the information. Harry sat impatiently, waiting for her to tell him he was either completely crazy or just a lot stranger than he was already. When Tonks finally spoke, Harry listened intently.

"Well, it's certainly unusual for someone to have multiple animgus forms, but it isn't unheard of either. Basically it just means your personality is too complicated, and multi-faceted enough, that it can't be represented by just one form. And knowing you like I do…that isn't a surprise," she said wryly.

"Well, it's a relief to know I'm not completely off my rocker. Just so complicated that even magic itself doesn't know what to do with me," Harry replied dryly. Tonks laughed.

"That's my baby brother—a conundrum even to magic itself. No wonder no one understands you," she teased. Harry made a face at her, but couldn't squash the feeling of warmth that rose in him when Tonks directly called him her brother.

"Can I know what your form is now?" Harry asked.

"I suppose I can allow that now. I'm a lynx," she said mischievously.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I should have known. So what comes next?"

" _First_ , we both need to get some sleep. Tomorrow we start researching. For you I'd suggest choosing one form to focus on first and master it before moving on to the next. The thing about animagi is that you have to understand literally _everything_ about your form before you can even begin the transformation process—anatomy, behaviors, _everything_. It's a lot of work."

"No wonder you quit," Harry teased, and dodged the pillow she swung at him. A much-shortened pillow fight ensued. It ended with Tonks pinning Harry to the floor with a pillow across his chest, but after a few minutes he'd given up struggling. It being so late, he quickly fell asleep. Tonks followed shortly after, tangled in the blankets they had used as weapons.


	8. Continuing

I'd like to thank you all for your reviews. Keep them coming, and don't be afraid to make suggestions!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 8: Continuing**

Harry woke what felt like only seconds after he'd fallen asleep. Sunlight streamed through the partly open curtains, falling across his face and making it impossible to go back to sleep even if he'd wanted to. He moved to sit up, but found himself pinned to the floor. He looked and saw a head of dark blonde hair just below his chin. Apparently Tonks had fallen asleep on the same pillow she'd used to pin him to the ground. Not wanting to wake her and not at all bothered by her presence, Harry stayed on his back, replaying his potion dream again and filing it away with Occlumency so he wouldn't lose any details.

Just as he finished, he remembered why he was asleep on the sitting room floor and not in his bed. _Remus_! He'd probably been through a hellish night, and Harry had promised to help him back to the house. Carefully, Harry slid out from under Tonks, lowering the pillow holding her head back onto the floor. Then he grabbed a jumper and pulled it over his pajamas. It was well after sunrise. Harry hoped, as he pulled on his trainers, that Remus was still sleeping, and not trying to drag his bruised self back to the cottage alone.

Harry made sure he had his wand, then quietly slipped out of the house. The cool morning air nipped at his hands and cheeks as he headed into the woods. Having helped Remus pick the spot, Harry knew where to go. He found the pile of supplies Remus had left with, as well as his robes, at the base of a tree, a mild protection spell around it. On top of the pile was Remus's wand. Harry cancelled the spell and picked up the wand and a blanket, then followed the wand to its owner. Remus had cleverly enchanted it to lead Harry to him for just such an occasion as this.

It wasn't long before Harry found his surrogate father. He lay a few hundred meters away near a stand of trees. He was bloodied and bruised, but nothing looked too serious. His face was pale and drawn in pain even as he slept, looking utterly spent. Swallowing a sudden lump in his throat, Harry laid the blanket over his pale body and very gently shook his shoulder. Remus moaned softly but allowed Harry to help him to his feet. Remus didn't say a word as they headed back, though he leaned heavily on Harry. Perhaps his silence was merely due to exhaustion, but Harry was fairly certain it was because Remus hated being seen at his weakest moment, especially by Harry, and was ashamed of it.

Harry retrieved the supplies while Remus pulled his trousers on. Then they walked together back to the house. Remus still leaned heavily on Harry and he was limping. Swallowing hard, Harry helped him to bed and tended to his wounds. It appeared Moony had turned on himself in the night, as there were fresh claw marks across his stomach and many bruises where the wolf must have thrown himself at a tree. Remus's ankle was also badly twisted, as though he'd stepped in a hole by accident. Luckily nothing was too serious and he would be fine in a few days.

"Thank you, Harry," Remus said quietly as Harry finished. His voice was hoarse.

"Don't thank me. I'm just doing what any good son would do." Harry had meant to say _friend_. Where had _son_ come from? But Harry had no desire to take it back—he'd meant it.

Remus started a bit in surprise, then a soft smile spread across his lined face, making him look several years younger. "Thank you, cub." Remus's eyes were strangely wet. Harry just smiled.

"Take care, Moony. Don't worry about us. In fact, I think we'll do a bit of shopping to let you rest in peace." Harry's answer was a light snore from Remus. Harry smiled and tucked the covers more securely around his surrogate father's sleeping form before leaving the room.

Harry entered the kitchen to find a plate of bacon on the stove. The faint, acrid smell of carbon reached his nostrils. Harry wrinkled his nose; Tonks had burned it, and was on her second attempt if the pile of charred bacon was anything to go by. Tonks turned around and smiled sheepishly as Harry eyed the popping frying pan warily.

"I tried, okay?" she said defensively, putting her hands on her hips.

Harry smirked. "I wasn't going to say anything. You saved me the trouble. And before you ask, Moony is fine. A little banged up, but he'll be back on his feet in no time. He's sleeping now. I figured we could go shopping for research material today while he rests."

Tonks nodded. "Good idea. I'll leave this here with a warming charm on it for when he wakes."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that. But he'll give you no end to grief for your first try," Harry teased. Tonks huffed and Vanished the burnt attempt. Harry snatched three pieces out of the frying pan before Tonks turned off the stove and cast the warming spell. Then she disappeared into her room to get ready for the day.

Harry did the same and changed into proper clothing—jeans and a dark green t-shirt under a light jumper. He played a bit with his morphing as well, fading his scar from view and lengthening his dark hair until it could be pulled away from his face by a leather thong. It was a style he was quickly becoming partial to as it was about the only style his hair wasn't unmanageable in. He passed the time until Tonks was ready to sort his memories of the previous day as he hadn't done it the previous night. He'd begun the practice shortly after beginning his Occlumency training because it was easier to sort through older memories when the recent ones weren't cluttering his mind.

It wasn't long before Tonks reappeared, dressed but still looking a little worse for wear. Her dark hair only sported pink tips rather than being entirely colored and her face looked a little haggard from lack of sleep. She peeked into Remus's room briefly to confirm what Harry had said before, then she joined Harry by the door.

"So where to?" she asked brightly, though it seemed a tad forced.

"Aside from restocking the kitchen and potions ingredients, I was thinking we could go to a muggle library. I think they'd have better information than anything from Flourish and Blotts."

"Sounds good enough for me. Let's go," Tonks said, and grabbed his arm. They side-along apparated to Diagon Alley and after a brief stop at Gringotts for money they quickly restocked on the essentials—potions ingredients and supplies, parchment and quills, and a few other things. They glanced in Flourish and Blotts just in case, and Harry discovered a more complete guide to the animagus transformation. But there were no anatomy books on wolves or lynxes, so their next stop was a muggle library a ten-minute's walk from the Leaky Cauldron.

After browsing a bit, Harry and Tonks found a goldmine. There was an entire section on wolves, the lynx, and birds of prey among many other animals. Harry chose two books that were basically a comprehensive list of the different species and brought them to a table, where he began thumbing through them, looking for a photograph that matched what he'd seen. Tonks joined him shortly after with a stack of books and a disgruntled but determined expression.

After about an hour's worth of studying, Harry could name both his forms. His wolf form turned out to be a red wolf. After reading a little more about it, Harry felt it was a fair but not completely accurate match to his personality. Pack-oriented, protective, and playful. Then he read about the bird, which turned out to be a kite, and found the missing pieces—independent, settled, and non-aggressive. Harry was simultaneously amazed and amused at his findings on his animagus animals. Apparently magic knew him better than he knew himself. Having discovered this, Harry returned to the shelves to find books specifically on his animals.

Some time later, Harry and Tonks left the library with several books apiece, though Harry had more as he had two animals to study. It was nearly two in the afternoon as well, so they stowed their books and ate lunch at a muggle restaurant nearby before returning to the cottage.

Upon returning, Harry decided to get right into studying, wanting to be ready for the next full moon so he could actually help Remus. Tonks joined him, clearly reluctant but determined all the same. After a few hours, Harry's brain couldn't take anymore, so he put away the books where Remus wouldn't stumble across them accidentally and started dinner—after that morning's incident with the bacon, Harry didn't trust her in the kitchen.

After he and Tonks had eaten, Harry prepared a plate and brought it to Remus, who was still resting and recovering. He knocked and heard a faint, "Come in!" Harry pushed open the door to find Remus struggling to sit up, but he smiled in greeting when Harry stepped inside.

Harry set the plate on the bedside table and helped Remus sit up. "How are you feeling, Moony?" he asked.

"Still a little sore, but much better than this morning," Remus answered, wincing a little as he reached for the plate of food. Harry grinned and shook his head, handing Remus his dinner. Remus smiled a little sheepishly as he took it and began to eat.

"So what were you and Dora up to today? The house was quiet all day long."

"Tonks and I went out to stock up on some things. We wanted to make sure you got enough rest," Harry answered.

"Well, thank you for that, Harry. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Harry replied. They chatted idly while Remus finished up. Harry Vanished the dirty dishes then turned to his surrogate father. "Can I check your injuries, just to be sure they're healing properly?"

Remus nodded and tossed back the covers to reveal his bandaged stomach. Gently Harry unwound the bandages. The cuts were healing, but slowly. Carefully Harry reapplied the essence of dittany and rebandaged them. Then he checked Remus's ankle, which was much better. But Harry insisted that Remus rest a few more days so as not to strain any of his injuries. Remus protested at first, stubborn as always, but finally relented with a sheepish grin.

The next few days passed calmly. Harry kept up with his practical studies working with Tonks, and he also spent as much time as possible working on his animagus transformation, knowing it would be much harder once Remus was up and about again. So far he was still only studying and trying to memorize all the characteristics of the red wolf, the animal he'd chosen to focus on first. Tonks joined him whenever she could, just as determined as Harry to master the transformation as soon as possible.

One day, about three days after the full moon, Harry was studying his animagus form with Tonks when something occurred to him.

"Hey, Tonks? I was just thinking. How come my fur is red if my hair is black? Doesn't hair color usually determine the animal's coloring?"

Tonks shrugged. "Usually, but not always. For example, me. My hair can be any color of the rainbow, but my fur's white—or brown, if it's summer."

"Your natural hair is brown, though, isn't it? And Sirius's fur was black, like his hair. My fur is red, but my hair is black."

Tonks suddenly turned a rather calculating look toward Harry. "Is it, though?" she said, more to herself than to Harry.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"I can't believe I haven't taught you this yet! This is the _first_ thing a metamorphmagus should know!" Tonks went on ranting, still not directly addressing Harry.

" _What_ are you on about, Tonks?" Harry demanded.

"Your natural form, of course. Every metamorphmagus has one. It's what you would look like if you didn't have metamorphmagus abilities."

"Oh," Harry said, a little dumbly. "But isn't this my natural form?" he asked, gesturing to himself—glasses, longish but still untamable black hair (though today with a few streaks of dark blue), emerald green eyes, etc.

"It might be, or it might not be. I can teach you how to find out now, if that's okay," Tonks said.

Harry shrugged. "All right. I dunno if mine will change, but we'll see. How do I do it?"

"First, you have to relax," Tonks began. "I'd imagine your Occlumency studies will help with that. Then you have to drop all the morphs you've made. It takes a willingness to reveal the 'real you,' so to say, but it's not difficult. However, it is a rather personal experience."

"Sounds easy enough. Can I try?"

Tonks shrugged. "Sure. But like I said, it's a rather personal experience. Are you sure you want me to be here, or would you rather be alone?"

"You can stay. Like I said, I doubt it will change much, and I trust you," Harry answered.

Tonks smiled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Ready?"

"Ready," Harry said.

"All right. Close your eyes; it will be easier to concentrate." Harry did so. "Then try to take away all the changes you've made to your appearance. Yes, that means the blue streaks have to go," she teased.

"Witch," Harry stuck his tongue out at her, grinning. But he did so. He imagined all his morphing melting off him. It took some mental effort, and several moments passed with no success. He heard Tonks mutter an incantation, and peeked to see she her conjure a mirror in the center of the room. Smiling a little, Harry persevered, and shortly after he suddenly felt as though he'd relaxed a muscle he hadn't realized was tensed. He felt all his morphing slide off him like water off an oiled surface, and Tonks gasped. Hesitantly, not sure what to expect now, Harry opened his eyes.

The first thing Harry noticed was that he couldn't see; everything was a blur. So he did the only logical thing—he took off his glasses, and everything became clear. Then he looked in the mirror. The figure looking back at him had rusty auburn hair with dark undertones. His cheekbones were a little less sharp, his face a little fuller. His eyes remained the same emerald green color, but acquired flecks of gold. In short, rather than being a mirror of James Potter with Lily Evan's eyes, he was a perfect blend of them both.

Being able to see both of his parents in himself, knowing that _this_ was his natural form, Harry suddenly felt a sharp pang of mixed longing and grief for their death that he'd never felt before. He sank to his knees in front of the mirror, struggling to hold back tears. He sensed Tonks kneel beside him and an arm fell around Harry's shoulders, squeezing gently. He leaned into her, taking strength from her support, and let the tears fall.

Some time later Harry calmed but didn't move. Tonks squeezed his shoulders tighter. "It surprised both of us, I suppose," she said. Harry nodded, scrubbing his eyes dry.

"Thanks," he said, a little hoarsely.

"So how do you feel about it?" Tonks asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure I ever want to morph again," Harry answered, his voice quiet. "I…I _miss_ them, and this makes it harder. But at the same time…I feel closer to them like this."

Tonks squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay to have mixed feelings, especially in this case. Give it some time."

Harry nodded and took a deep breath to regain complete control. "Thanks again," he said with a small smile. Tonks just grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. Then she stood and helped him to his feet. Harry glanced at his animgus books on the floor and at his watch. It was getting close to dinner time. "Is there anything else you want to show me before I start dinner?" he asked. Tonks shook her head.

"You're doing fine. Just keep practicing your morphing, and once Remus is on his feet again we'll get into real transfiguration."

Harry nodded and gathered his books. He put them in his trunk, in the compartment that would only open for him to keep Remus from finding them. Then, because there was still time and he was still curious, Harry went into the bathroom and faced his reflection in the mirror. It was exactly as he remembered it—auburn hair, gold flecks in his eyes, etc. Harry felt that same stab of longing as he recognized both his parents in his own reflection, but not quite as overwhelming. And after a moment's deliberation, Harry nodded to himself. He briefly closed his eyes and let his appearance resume that of earlier in the day, then resolutely set his course for Remus's room.

Harry knocked and heard Remus's "come in!" So Harry pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Ready to lift my sentence, then?" Remus quipped upon seeing who had entered.

Harry grinned. "One more day if you're good," he replied. "Actually…I wanted to show you something."

"Oh?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Tonks helped me find my natural form this afternoon."

"And you want to show it to me?" Remus asked, and Harry nodded. "Are you sure? I know from Dora that it's quite a personal thing."

"You're family, Moony. If I can't show you, I can't show anyone," Harry answered, though he felt butterflies start in his stomach.

Remus smiled. "Thank you, cub. I'm ready when you are, then."

Harry nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating like he had earlier. It was easier, though he had to consciously decide _not_ to simply morph into his form. After a moment, Harry again felt the sensation of all his morphing fading away, and Remus gasped, just as Tonks had.

"Harry…" he began, seeming shell-shocked.

Harry didn't know how to reply so he didn't, and Remus said nothing for what felt like a very long time. As the silence stretched on, doubts crept into Harry's mind. What if Remus didn't want the reminder of his lost friends? What if he _wanted_ Harry to look like his father? What if Remus only liked him because Harry reminded him of James? To his shame Harry felt tears pricking his eyes again, but for a different reason as old fears climbed to the surface. Tonks had accepted it easily, as had Harry himself. Everything had been so simple. He'd never even _considered_ what he'd do if _Remus_ didn't accept him. Unconsciously Harry took a step backward, preparing to flee so he could nurse his wounds in private and berate himself for thinking it could be that easy.

Remus saw it, could read the struggle on his face. "Harry. Come here, cub," he said, gently but firmly. Harry looked up and saw Remus's arms open, concerned but smiling. Without letting himself second-think it, Harry all but flung himself into his surrogate father's arms. Remus pulled the shaking teen into his arms, holding him with gentle strength. Harry pressed his face into Remus's neck, not caring that he was nearing sixteen and was too old to be comforted like this. Once again the face of Harry Potter, wizarding hero, disappeared, leaving just Harry, who had never had the adult support and approval that he needed and so desperately yet secretly craved. Remus held him tightly, murmuring into the teen's messy auburn hair.

"Shh. I could care less what color your hair is. You're still Harry. You could look like an ogre for all I care and I'd still be proud to call you my son," Remus said softly. His words only made Harry cry harder. He'd never had anyone call him that with any real sincerity in his entire life. Remus simply soothed him until Harry regained control and withdrew on his own.

"Thank you, Moony," Harry said quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. Remus squeezed his shoulder.

"You don't need to thank me. Think of it as me fulfilling the duty I ought to have taken on fifteen years ago."

Harry shook his head. "You don't owe me anything. It's not your fault I was placed with the Dursleys and I know you would have helped if you could."

Remus smiled. "Thank you, cub. But if you'll have me, I'd still like to be a father to you. I can't replace James, nor do I want to, but I can do the next-best thing."

"You already are," Harry answered, his voice muffled against the older man's neck as he'd thrown his arms around him. Remus hugged his cub, feeling undeserving of the boy's love but determined to do everything he could to prove his own.


	9. Reconciliation

Thank you, everyone, for all your wonderful reviews! I'm loving the positive feedback. I'd also like to thank the guest reviewer who pointed out the holes in my plot. That's one of my weaknesses as a writer. I appreciate that kind of feedback because it helps me improve. I'll try to incorporate some of the things you pointed out in the future. Until then, I hope you keep reading!

 **Chapter 9: Reconciliation**

Following the full moon and discovering his natural form, Harry threw himself into his studies. He was absolutely determined that Remus would not spend another full moon alone, so he spent every moment he could without arousing suspicion on his animagus transformation. He also spent a lot of time with his Occlumancy, steadily working through fourth year. He'd made it backwards through the second task and was nearly at the Yule Ball, though he was deliberately skipping over the third task. Perhaps the procrastination was childish, but Harry didn't think he could face that night again anytime soon, as it still featured in his nightmares even more than a year later.

But in addition to these studies, Harry also worked hard at his Charms and Transfiguration work and he was constantly striving to improve his dueling and his spell repertoire. He was making decent progress with Ancient Runes and Potions. Not only did he know the information would be vital to know, but a part of him wanted to make Remus proud. It may not have been official, but Harry saw the older man as his surrogate father, and like any good son he wanted to make that father proud of him. So he worked hard, basking (though still shyly) in the praise he received and determining over and over again to keep getting better.

Another area that saw some progress was Harry's relationship with his cousin. The week before the full moon Harry had, to his surprise, received a short note from Dudley, mostly full of questions and curiosities. Hedwig seemed quite pleased to have delivered a muggle's mail. From the content, though, it appeared the other boy was actually reading _Hogwarts, A History_ , though slowly—a fact which shocked Harry more than the note itself. Harry had replied with answers as short and simple as he could. And five days after, Harry received yet another note, this one with questions more about Harry than about the book or magic. And from the content, Harry knew another letter wouldn't suffice. They would have to meet in person.

So, Harry scribbled a reply, asking for a time and a place they could meet to talk. As he sent Hedwig off once more, he briefly wondered if his aunt and uncle even knew that he and Dudley were in contact, and by owl no less. He hoped Dudley was discreet; he didn't want his cousin to come to grief over the two of them trying to be friends.

Once Hedwig had disappeared into the clouds, Harry turned to the stack of other notes and letters he'd received over the course of the last few weeks. He'd been so busy and preoccupied with everything else that was going on that he'd nearly forgotten about his friends, so he sat down to read through them. Hermione and Ron had sent him two letters each, inquiring as to how he was coping with Sirius's death and his own general health. Neither of them gave any indication that they knew he'd left the Dursleys, which was fine by Harry. The longer he stayed hidden, the better. The Weasley twins, to his surprise, had sent him a sampling of some of their new products and an invitation to visit their new shop in Diagon Alley, as well as a brief letter asking him how he was, but without any prying questions and unwanted advice like Hermione's or blunt confusion like Ron's.

Ginny had also sent him a note, much to his surprise, that left out almost any mention of his godfather and simply prattled on about her exploits at the Burrow, the success the twins were having with their shop, rants about Percy the Minister's shadow, the horror of her brother Bill dating Fleur Delacour and her attempts to prank them as well as Ron. That one Harry appreciated the most, and replied to first. He mentioned that he was studying more that summer, but didn't say that he had left the Dursleys. Unfortunately that left a lot of stories that he couldn't tell. Mostly he just responded to her comments and wished her luck with her future sister-in-law. He encouraged pranking Ron and even gave her a few ideas. He ended with an expression of appreciation for her letter, then signed it and set it aside.

The rest of the letters he only wrote brief replies, relaying virtually the same information to Ron and Hermione as he had to Ginny. He felt a little vindictive as he wrote those as they were so vague—serves them right for leaving him in the dark the previous summer. The twins, though, he felt could be trusted with a little more information—plus they'd love such a great prank. So he detailed his escape from the Dursleys and summarized his training and the fun he was having with Tonks and Remus (whom he accidentally-on-purpose referred to as Moony once or twice, knowing they would be over the moon when they discovered who the Marauders really were). However, he deliberately left out the part about him being a metamorphmagus, wanting to surprise them when he finally got to visit them—his own version of a prank. Then he charmed it with a little help from Remus so it could only be opened with the Marauders' password—Harry didn't want anyone but Fred and George to know what he'd put in the letter, just in case it got intercepted. Then he prepared to send them off, the letters to Ron, Ginny, and Hermione with Hedwig when she returned from Surrey and the one to the twins with Tonks's owl right away.

When all the letters were sent, Harry sat back and flexed his wrist, noting the quiet in the house. Remus was still resting, though he continuously insisted he didn't need it, and Tonks was busy with paperwork from the Ministry. So Harry decided to work on his animagus transformation. He put a charm on the door to alert him if anyone approached, then he moved to his bed.

Harry had decided to focus on his wolf form for the time being because it would be infinitely more useful on the full moon than an oversized bird. He'd virtually memorized everything about the wolf's anatomy, habits, and behavior—a task made much easier by his progress in Occlumancy—and was just now beginning to venture into the transformation itself. Tonks had okay'd him to practice on his own so long as he let her know when, just in case something went wrong. Harry had told her when he asked to borrow her owl, and so he began.

The animagus guide Harry had found at Flourish and Blotts described the transformation as a difficult process. It required going into a meditative state and trying to force one's magic through the entire body to transform it. The tricky part was that, as a human, his magic resisted the change to an animal and so it took a lot of willpower and concentration. Harry certainly had the willpower; the concentration, while better that it used to be, was still difficult for him. But he persevered. In fact he spent nearly an hour trying to get at least _something_ to change. All he achieved was slightly longer and pointed fingernails and a sore back from slouching for so long. As it was by now early evening, Harry stretched and went to prepare dinner.

Hedwig returned just before Harry sat down to do his usual nightly Occlumency exercises, bearing a short note from Dudley, bearing the words: _The café on Magnolia Crescent, 11am on Tuesday._ Simple, to the point. And not too far away, as today was Sunday. Harry scribbled on the back, _see you then_ and retrieved the rest of his letters for Hedwig to deliver.

"I'm going to keep you busy, girl," Harry said with a smile as he tied the notes to her leg. He put the one to Dudley in her beak. "Take that one to Dudley first, then the Weasleys and Hermione. You don't have to wait for a reply."

Hedwig hooted in acknowledgement and nipped Harry's ear affectionately before taking off through the window.

Tuesday came quickly. Harry had told Remus and Tonks about the planned meeting with Dudley. Remus was reluctant to let him go by himself because of everything happening. Harry insisted he'd be fine. Tonks came up with a compromise that left Remus blushing and Harry grinning in approval. She suggested that if Remus was so worried, he could go with him—on a date, to the same café, to keep an eye on things. She not-so-subtly implied that she would be the logical choice for Remus's date. Since Harry pointed out her obvious crush on the werewolf, she'd given up trying to hide it and had in fact become rather bold. Remus obviously returned her affection but for reasons only known to him he was reluctant to act on it. Harry innocently suggested that this was a perfectly safe way to see how he performed on a date.

After some haranguing, Remus finally agreed. So, at 10:30am on Tuesday, the trio apparated to the park Harry had met Remus in the day after school ended. Remus and Tonks went ahead, looking exactly like an ordinary young couple on their first or second date, and Tonks looked thrilled. Harry made a mental note to tease her about it later, and Remus, too, for that matter. He followed shortly after the pair.

The café that was Dudley's chosen location was a little run-down and very unassuming and unremarkable. Harry knew that the windows had been broken and replaced frequently due to the rocks thrown at them previously by Dudley and his gang in their idea of fun. Harry spotted Tonks and Remus at a corner booth, Tonks looking amused and Remus awkward. He smirked to himself and scanned the rest of the tables for his cousin.

He spotted him on the other side of the café from Remus and Tonks, looking nervous and every bit as whalelike as Harry remembered. Harry made his way over, surreptitiously checking that his wand was in place in its holster at his wrist. Harry had worn his hair at chin-length and tied back, as per usual, and he no longer had need of glasses or contacts, and in dark-washed jeans and a plain grey t-shirt that actually fit him plus his dragon-hide jacket it was no wonder his cousin didn't recognize him. Instead he looked terrified as Harry approached.

"Hi, Dudley," Harry said, trying for friendly.

"H-hi…" Dudley answered, not quite meeting his eyes. And Harry realized that he _did_ look significantly different than he had three weeks previous, when he'd left.

"Dudley, it's me. Harry," he said, a little sheepish.

"H- _Harry_?" Dudley stammered, looking more closely at his cousin. "But—what…how…?"

Harry grinned as he slid into the chair opposite Dudley, but cast a glare toward the corner where Remus and Tonks were sitting when he heard a familiar feminine snicker. "It's just some new clothes and a pair of contacts, Dud," Harry said, shrugging. He was lying about the contacts, of course, but Dudley didn't need to know all the details about how he suddenly found himself not needing glasses anymore after ten years of using them.

"But you look so _different_ ," Dudley persisted.

"Yeah, a little self-confidence goes a long way," Harry replied, knowing that it was his change in attitude, more than the change in wardrobe, that had taken his cousin by surprise. It really was quite remarkable what happens when one has such unconditional support as Harry had found. Dudley just nodded dumbly, still clearly surprised, and Harry had a fleeting image of how Aunt Petunia would react if she saw the way he was dressed. She'd certainly chase him away, accusing him of being a tramp with his long hair and leather. Harry smirked a little at the mental image. A moment passed in uncomfortably silence that Harry finally broke by awkwardly clearing his throat. "So, er, how have you been, Dudley?"

His cousin shrugged. "Fine, I s'pose. Mum and Dad have hardly noticed you're gone and they mostly leave me alone now. I, uh, broke ties with Piers and his lot. Half of them have gone to jail in the last year. I don't wanna get in trouble."

"Good for you, Dud. That took courage," Harry said, pleased at the news. It was further evidence that his cousin really was turning over a new leaf. There was still some awkwardness due to their history, but Harry was confident that would fade with time.

"Uh, thanks," Dudley replied. "Should we, I dunno, order or something?"

"Sure," Harry answered, shrugging. Several minutes passed in silence while they both examined the menu, and finally, after they'd placed their order, Dudley finally broached his questions.

"What is it like at Hog…at your school?" he asked. Harry was happy he'd started with an easy question. He discreetly cast an anti-eavesdropping charm before answering—it wouldn't do for any ordinary muggle to hear them talking about magic and Hogwarts.

"It's Hogwarts. And…it's amazing. The castle itself is magic. The staircases move, the portraits talk, and there are secret passages everywhere. The coursework is, of course, magic, but other than that it's much like any other school. We live in dormitories and we have houses with whom we take meals and attend classes. The professors are strict, and assign mountains of homework every week. We get rewarded for good behavior, punished for bad. I've been in dozens of detentions," Harry added, smirking.

"Really?" Dudley seemed shocked. "But it was always me getting you in trouble."

Harry shook his head, grinning. "Nah. I've gotten into loads of trouble. Granted, it isn't _always_ my fault, but trouble seems to follow me wherever I go."

"What do you keep doing then?"

Harry smiled. "Mostly just sneaking around after hours, going out of bounds. Last year I started an unauthorized defense club," he said, grinning still.

"Wow," Dudley breathed. It was amusing, actually—he looked like his whole world view had been shattered by the simple fact that his cousin was a troublemaker.

Their meal arrived at that moment and some minutes were lost in savoring the simple fare. Harry was impressed that Dudley's portion was normal-sized. At second glance, he saw that his cousin had even lost a bit of weight. Perhaps he'd noticed Harry's exercise routine of two days and decided to follow his example.

After a little while had passed in idle conversation, Dudley finally broke a silence with a question out of the blue. "Who's Cedric?"

The name hit Harry like a bludger to the stomach. Deeply entrenched in his memories of fourth year due to Occlumency, the third task had been hovering around the edges of his consciousness, never given enough space to truly invade but weighing on Harry all the same. And, frankly, his cousin who had hated him up until a month ago was the _last_ person he wanted to tell.

Harry took a deep, calming breath, drawing upon his Occlumency to keep his emotions in check. He'd promised Dudley answers, so Harry would do his best to give them to him. He deserved at least that much. "He was a…friend, I suppose. We were just rivals on the Quidditch pitch—" Dudley's nod told Harry that he understood what Quidditch was—"until fourth year, then we were fellow competitors in a tournament the school hosted. We helped each other out. Then…everything went horribly wrong in the last task of the tournament." Harry sighed, pulling his fingers through his hair. Dudley's expression turned slightly sympathetic but there was still curiosity there and Harry knew he'd have to explain it all.

"The task was a maze. Simple enough, right? Get through the obstacles, be the first to reach the center and the Cup and you win. Only…someone turned the Cup into a portkey—er, magical transport—that would take us straight to Voldemort." Harry paused momentarily to appreciate that Dudley didn't react to the name like most wizards did. His cousin's eyes just widened, remembering at least something his story. "Cedric and I reached the Cup at the same time. I insisted we take it together since it was only fair. The Cup took us both to Voldemort. He wanted me, but didn't care about anyone else. So…he killed Cedric." Harry's voice cracked and he cleared his throat.

"Oh," was all Dudley said, barely even voicing the syllable. Harry could tell he mildly regretted bringing up the topic.

"It's fine, Dud," Harry replied wearily. A long moment passed and Harry could feel Tonks's and Remus's eyes on them—he'd seen them glance over right after Dudley had asked his question and they'd probably seen him stiffen even if they hadn't heard the inquiry itself. He'd known they'd be watching him, but he didn't like it any better.

A moment passed in uncomfortable silence and one of the waitresses cleared their dishes and left the bill. Harry almost unconsciously reached for it, but Dudley got there first, meeting his eyes and basically telling his cousin he had it covered. Harry was surprised at the determination in Dudley's eyes. It was gradual, but he really was changing.

"It's the least I can do for making you wear my cast-offs," he mumbled, uncomfortable.

Harry managed a small smile. "Thanks, Big D," he answered. A little longer passed in silence that Harry finally broke. "So, er, d'you have any more questions?"

"Loads. But, not now," Dudley answered, still seeming uncomfortable with being so nice. "It was, uh, good to see you again, Harry," he said, standing. Harry stood, too, and shook his cousin's proffered hand.

"Good to see you, too, Dud. Er, maybe we can do this again sometime?"

Dudley shrugged. "Sure," he answered. "I'd, uh, better get home. Mum and Dad will be wondering where I am."

"See ya, then, Big D," Harry answered, summoning every ounce of cheerfulness that he could as he waved. Dudley waved, too, and then vanished through the door. Harry slumped against the table and, with a hint of amusement, counted silently the seconds until Tonks and Remus were at his side.

It took them fourteen seconds.

"How'd it go, cub?" Remus asked, seeming far too relieved that his "date" was over.

"Good. He's actually reading _Hogwarts, A History_ that I loaned him," Harry answered, determined to stay cheerful.

Tonks whistled in amazement. "Wow. I barely got through chapter eight before I gave it up as a bad job. Now I'm being shown up by that lump of a boy," she pouted. Harry couldn't help but smile as he rolled his eyes.

"I doubt he's even that far yet. He mostly asked about Hogwarts and what it was like going to a magic school."

"I'm glad you're getting along. You should keep your family as close as they'll let you," Remus said, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "Now, shall we go?"

Harry and Tonks nodded in agreement and Tonks led the way out of the café.

"How was your date?" Harry asked, smirking, as they walked back to the park and their apparition point.

Remus flushed slightly and Tonks snickered, nudging Remus with her shoulder. "It was quite romantic. You should hear this one when he gets going on all the reasons we should and shouldn't be together."

"Well, _you_ knocked over your water glass four times," Remus retorted. Harry snorted in amused surprise. " _And_ stuck your elbow in your salad, _and_ spilled the dipping sauce, _and_ —"

"Okay, okay!" Tonks cut him off, the tips of her hair turning pink with her face. "I'm a klutz!" she exclaimed. "And _you_ shut up," she said, glaring at Harry who was now full-out laughing. He choked as he tried to speak.

"You're perfect for each other, I always knew it," he finally managed, and only laughed harder when they both flushed a deep red, Tonks's hair turning fuchsia to match her face. Tonks stuck her nose in the air and sped up to walk ahead of the other two, which sent Remus into guffaws right along with Harry. It wasn't often he showed his Marauder side, but it was moments like this you couldn't deny he deserved his place in the group—he drew his wand and silently charmed Tonks's hair to stay hot pink and added pink ribbons with cupids and hearts on them from behind. She didn't even notice.

They apparated back to the cottage and Harry set about getting his things together to start studying. Tonks cast frequent glares as she began on her paperwork from the Ministry, but hadn't noticed what Remus had done to her hair, which made Harry hard-pressed to contain his laughter. He also had to avoid Remus's eye as they began Ancient Runes in the front room with Tonks or else they'd both break out into uncontrollable laughter.

However, Harry was just as amused at Remus and his reluctance to go on the date, so when he moved on to Transfiguration with Tonks, she helped him cast a few spells that had a very similar result to those Remus had used on Tonks—which she either still hadn't noticed or didn't really care. Harry also spelled a phrase onto the back of Remus's robes without Tonks's knowledge: "In love and proud of it!" that flashed different colors. Then, when he moved on to his personal study, Harry kept an eye and an ear out for their reactions.

Harry's patience was rewarded when he heard running water in the bathroom and Tonks's indignant shout of "Remus!" He heard the bathroom door slam shut and only moments later the two of them were in a full-out war. He grabbed the camera he'd purchased with Tonks in Diagon Alley a week previous and quickly set it up to snap constant pictures, unable to contain his laughter at the creative pranks they pulled on each other. Harry, was, however, smart enough to put up a shield between himself and the other two as they frequently tried to retaliate against him for laughing at their expense.

Their shouts mixed with the spells until he could hardly keep track of what was going on, but finally it ended. Tonks had spelled Remus into a sundress and given him curly blonde hair and thick makeup, and Remus had half-transformed Tonks into a pink flamingo by causing feathers to sprout from her head, arms, and back, and transfigured her jeans and t-shirt into gaudy turquoise robes that were very reminiscent of Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry had long since collapsed to the ground, eyes streaming and struggling to breathe through his laughter.

It was some minutes before Harry regained his breath and the two of them mostly cancelled the spells on each other. Tonks retained several feathers and Remus's face was still caked with powder, but at least they'd stopped casting. Tonks was glowering but her eyes shone with amusement, and Remus looked younger and happier than Harry had ever seen him. He couldn't help but think how lucky he was to have them, however rag-tag and unusual a family they were.

It was nearing dinnertime now, so Harry went to start the meal with a bit of help from Remus. Tonks disappeared into her room, presumably to work on her own animagus transformation. The meal passed in easy conversation and banter. Harry didn't participate as much, preferring to bask in the happiness surrounding him. That afternoon definitely qualified as a Patronus memory, and Harry would cherish it.


	10. Shadows

Hi everyone! I apologize for the late update; I was travelling all weekend. Hopefully this extra-long chapter makes up for it! Thank you again for all the reviews. Keep them coming! Hope you enjoy:

 **Chapter 10: Shadows**

The next few days passed easily. Harry was drawn into another prank war the day following in retaliation for laughing at Remus and Tonks, but dissuaded them from doing so again anytime soon when he bested both of them with his creativity and surprising repertoire of prank spells.

"Fred and George may have taught me a few things over the years," he said airily when questioned.

His studies continued as well. Harry shared with Tonks his progress with his animagus transformation when Remus was called away to a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix several days later. Both he and Tonks had received several notices and requests for their attendance, but until this point they'd managed to avoid being required to go, but this time Remus hadn't been able to get out of it. Harry had offered up Grimmauld Place as Headquarters as soon as he knew he'd inherited it, knowing it was the best place and himself having no intention to move into the place that would only depress him and remind him of his godfather. He'd also inherited Kreacher, whom Harry sent to work at Hogwarts as he not only had no use for a house elf at the moment but he also had no desire to be anywhere near such a foul-mouthed little demon.

Remus returned around midafternoon (having departed late morning) looking grave. He sank into an armchair in the front room, barely looking at the cup of tea Tonks had set on the table beside him.

"What's happened, Moony?" Harry asked.

Remus raised his head and looked both of them in the eye. "Amelia Bones and Emmeline Vance are dead," he stated quietly. Tonks gasped and Harry felt his stomach drop. He didn't know Madame Bones very well, but she'd been one of the only fair-minded members of the Wizengamot at his trial the year previous, and Emmeline Vance had been part of the group that rescued him from the Dursleys last summer. He'd liked her. What really got to Harry, though, was the fact that he _knew_ them. He'd seen the reports in the Daily Prophet of muggles and wizards who had been killed in the attacks, but they were just names, and while it was horrible that they were dead it didn't affect Harry personally. This report did.

"What is Dumbledore going to do about it?" Tonks asked in a hushed voice.

Remus shrugged wearily. "He's doing everything he can, but we're just outnumbered. The Death Eaters are always at least one step ahead of us. Even with Snape's information, we're more likely to be the clean-up crew than the first line of defense. They've recruited the giants as well—that's what all those reports of destruction are from. They attack simply to kill. They don't have any other goal. Dementors are everywhere. We're lucky they haven't reached down south yet where we are."

A long minute passed in heavy silence. Suddenly Harry kicked a wall and cursed loudly. Tonks tried to calm him, but he shook her off. "What am I doing?" he growled. "People are dying, Voldemort's getting stronger, and I'm sitting here learning _Arithmancy_. I should be out there fighting, I should be helping!" he ranted, whirling to punch the same wall he'd kicked.

Remus stood and caught his arms. Harry fought him, but the werewolf's strength was too much for him.

"Harry, you _are_ helping. You're preparing so that when the time comes, you can beat Voldemort. _That's_ your goal—Voldemort. Let the Order deal with his groupies."

"But—" Harry protested, but this time Tonks cut him off.

"He's right, Harry. You're good, you're _really_ good for a sixteen-year-old wizard, but you're still barely a match for a full-grown Death Eater. You could probably hold them off until you can escape, but you can't take them down yet. You're not there yet. So there's no point in running off to fight when it's more likely you'll get hurt or, Merlin forbid, _killed_."

Tonks's passionate speech deflated most of Harry's misplaced anger, but that fire of determination still burned strong. Remus loosened his grip on Harry's wrists, but didn't completely let go. "Tonks is right, cub. I'd rather you stay here and study and practice and prepare for as long as possible than risk losing you simply because you weren't ready yet. Merlin, Harry. I've lost everyone else—don't make me lose you, too!" Harry was suddenly pulled into a fierce hug and he realized that he'd completely underestimated the other man's affection for him. Intellectually Harry knew Remus cared about him—he'd said it often enough—but he'd never really seen it as both of them were rather private with their feelings.

Harry quickly returned the hug, reveling once more in the feeling of being wanted and _truly_ loved. "Thanks, Moony," he said quietly. Remus briefly hugged him tighter and dropped a kiss on top of the boy's messy hair. They both missed the look on Tonks's face that suggested she'd just fallen even more deeply in love with the older man.

Finally Remus released Harry. "You stay here for me, okay, cub? Work hard and do your best here. Your chance will come."

Harry nodded. "I will."

"Not that this isn't adorable, but I'm hungry," Tonks broke in teasingly. Harry flushed a little but Remus just smiled.

"I'll cook tonight, Harry," Remus said as Harry made for the kitchen. "You have studying to do," he added with a wink. Harry pouted then grinned.

"Thanks. Just, make sure it's edible, all right? I don't fancy burnt bacon again."

Tonks reddened a bit at Harry's comment but its significance escaped Remus as he hadn't been present for that incident. He instead simply nodded and vanished into the kitchen. Tonks and Harry returned to their respective work.

Harry had just finished translating a difficult set of runes when Remus called for dinner. The mood was somber, the news that Remus had brought home weighing on them all. After the meal Harry settled in for a long haul for Occlumency. He'd started to fall behind in sorting memories, instead having looked ahead in his Occlumency book, impatient, and tried to perform some of the other exercises. But they were incomplete without all his memories organized since the next step was erecting defenses around your mind, so he was forced to go back to step one.

He'd only barely made it to Halloween, fourth year—the night his name came out of the goblet unwanted. So Harry still had the first two months of term as well as summer holidays and the Quidditch Cup, not to mention the third task. He let Remus and Tonks know not to disturb him except in the case of emergency, then slipped into his meditative state.

The first two months weren't difficult to go through, though it was unpleasant remembering his first lesson with Mad-Eye Moody's imposter—the first time he'd seen the killing curse and understood exactly how his parents had died. The Quidditch Cup was a little harder, but it was amusing watching the ton-tongue toffee incident caused by Fred and George when they, Ron, and Mr. Weasley had come via Floo into a muggle fireplace to pick Harry up.

When Harry finished the summer, he pulled out of his trance and tried to prepare himself. Tonks was sitting in the front room with Harry, quietly studying her animagus books. Of course, Harry only knew that because he'd watched Tonks charm them to look like Auror texts. Remus was in the other corner, reading another book whose title Harry couldn't make out. When he sensed Harry looking, Remus glanced up and offered an encouraging smile. Harry returned it, then took a few deep breaths and plunged in.

He began the morning of the task, feeling again the building anticipation and anxiety, knowing that if something were to go wrong, this would be the time. He relived entering the maze with Cedric, facing the skrewt, the sphinx (he was still proud of himself for solving that riddle), and the strange mist, the confusion at hardly seeing any opposition, the spike of anxiety at first Fleur's scream and then facing the Imperiused Viktor Krum, narrowly avoiding his curse. Then the race to the Cup with Cedric, jointly facing the giant Acromantula, and the brief debate. Harry cursed himself again for insisting Cedric take it with him. He should have just run for it and faced his fate alone.

Harry distantly felt himself begin to shake when the Cup transported them to the graveyard and Wormtail appeared. He had to force himself to keep watching as he was bound to the headstone, pleaded over and over _please let it drown, please let it drown_ when the repulsive wraith was dropped into the cauldron, and Harry bit his lip to keep from screaming when Voldemort rose out of the cauldron, resurrected thanks to Harry's blood, and his scar burned unbearably as he called his followers. It was a constant internal battle as the informal duel began to force himself to continue. He felt again the excruciating pain of the Cruciatus curse, doubled and redoubled by his burning scar and previously sustained injuries. Harry had to choke back tears when Cedric's and then his parents' shadowy forms emerged from the tip of Voldemort's wand.

It wasn't even over when Harry managed to grab the Triwizard Cup and return to Hogwarts grounds. He had to relive the interrogation of Barty Crouch, Jr., as well as retelling the whole experience to Dumbledore and the horror and shock that coursed through him as he sat on a bed in the hospital wing afterward. The memory faded as Harry's memory self finally fell asleep thanks to the sleeping draft from Madame Pomphrey, and Harry came to himself to find his entire body shaking uncontrollably and hot tears flowing down his cheeks.

He was dimly aware of two sets of arms wrapped around him. He pressed his face into the worn but soft fabric of Remus's robes, sobs tearing from his throat as the horrors of that night forced expression. Dimly Harry realized that he had never truly come to terms with it all, having been forced to suppress it while at the Dursleys and tormented by nightmares without anyone to help him, even after finally being allowed to join the Order at Grimmauld Place. Now, though, Harry finally felt safe and comfortable enough to let it all go.

Remus's arms tightened around his shaking cub, his heart aching for the pain and the horrors Harry had been forced to endure in such a short amount of time. Tonks didn't bother to fight her own tears that wet the back of Harry's t-shirt as she realized, firsthand, just how difficult her surrogate brother's life had been and just how much pain he'd been carrying around without anyone being the wiser.

It was a long time before any of them moved. When one of them did, it was Remus, standing and lifting Harry's sleeping form with werewolf strength. He went to Harry's room and gently laid the almost-sixteen year old on the bed. He looked so much younger when asleep, especially now with dried tears streaking his face. Tonks quietly rounded the bed as Remus tucked the covers around the sleeping teen. After a moment, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to her surrogate brother's forehead before leaving with a soft "good night," directed at both Remus and Harry.

Remus, however, lingered some moments longer, a multitude of emotions filling him as he looked down on his son in all but blood. He noted with a small smile that while asleep, the boy's hair faded back to its natural auburn. Remus brushed a strand off his forehead, revealing the lightning scar that had caused so much pain, and yet also brought many opportunities. Remus didn't hesitate to admit that his life had completely changed since Harry had come into his life, and for the better. He vowed to himself to do anything it took to keep him from experiencing any more unnecessary pain. Tenderly Remus lowered his head and kissed the boy's forehead, right over the scar. He may have imagined the soft sigh that slipped past Harry's lips at the touch.

"I love you, cub," Remus whispered, then he left the room to retire to bed himself.

Harry woke the next morning after one of the best night's sleep he'd ever had. He recalled with slight embarrassment how he'd cried himself into exhaustion after finishing his Occlumency. Then he vaguely remembered being carried to bed, covers being tucked around him, and soft words that made him feel warm and loved.

Harry was broken out of his thoughts, however, by an impatient tapping at the window. It confused him because he normally left the window open for Hedwig and she would always just fly right in. Blinking sleepily, he glanced toward the window and saw a nondescript brown post owl on the windowsill, apparently waiting to be invited in. Harry rolled out of bed and pushed the window open wider and the owl hopped inside and held out its leg. Harry detached the oddly thick envelope then the owl flew off into the lightening sky.

Stifling a yawn, Harry flipped the envelope over and was surprised to see the Gringotts seal on the reverse side. Sitting down at his desk, he broke the seal and found that the envelope contained several pieces of parchment. The first was a letter and the other two looked like bank statements. Awake now, Harry skimmed the letter first. It read:

 _Mr. Potter,_

 _I hope this missive finds you well. I apologize greatly for the delay in delivering these, but there were several…abnormalities I wished to rectify before sending you the report. As you may have realized, the other two parchments contain the statements regarding the complete contents of both the Potter and the Black vaults. This includes both the contents in coins and in possessions. The abnormal numbers I spoke of and the solutions can be found on the individual statements. Also, one day soon you will need to come to Gringotts and claim your heir rings for the Houses of both Potter and Black in order to unfreeze the family vaults and gain access to their contents. Any questions you have may be directed to me, Blogrod, at Gringotts. Thank you for your business._

 _May your gold always flow,_

 _Blogrod the Goblin_

 _Account Manager for the Ancient and Noble Houses of Black and Potter_

To be honest, Harry was a little surprised. With everything going on, he had completely forgotten that he had requested the statement and the fact that he was now heir to two noble and ancient houses, which, frankly, was an area he knew absolutely nothing about. He would have to talk to Remus and get some books. Harry was sensible enough to realize that after the previous year, it might be a good idea to try to throw his political weight around as the boy-who-lived and now, thanks to the rumors about the prophecy that resulted from his excursion to the Ministry at the beginning of June, the Chosen One, however much he despised those titles. At the very least it might whip the Ministry into shape and get them actually doing something rather than simply warning everyone to be careful.

Out of curiosity, Harry scanned the bank statements. Most of it he didn't fully understand, like the investment record, but what he _did_ understand made his jaw drop. Harry was now the owner of, between both Houses, nearly a _dozen_ properties, most of them manor houses, scattered across Britain, Scotland, and Wales (including Number 12 Grimmauld Place), not to mention tens of _millions_ of galleons. And that didn't even _begin_ cover the family heirlooms, relics, and _jewels_ that filled both vaults. To be brief, Harry was now, to put it bluntly, filthy rich. He probably wouldn't have to work a day in his life and still live comfortably for an entire lifetime, while _still_ leaving plenty for his descendants to live on.

Still reeling from the knowledge of his newfound wealth, Harry dressed in his exercise clothes and went for his morning jog around the grounds of the cottage. Tonks joined him before long, as she often did when she didn't have a late night at the Ministry. They ran in companionable silence, barely breathing hard even as they passed the two-mile mark. In fact, the exercise that summer had done wonders for Harry's physique. At the beginning of the summer he'd still been short, skinny and pale, even more than usual due to the lack of Quidditch (Harry still cursed Umbridge for that particular ban). But now he had filled out and his skin was a healthy tan from all the time outside running and dueling. He'd even grown several inches since he'd been able to keep up a healthy eating habit rather than having to steal minimal amounts of food from the Dursleys when they weren't looking. He'd never be the tallest kid in his year (in fact he was fairly sure that title belonged to Ron) but at least he would no longer be the shortest.

Harry took a shower after returning to the cottage and dressed for the day in jeans and a dark grey t-shirt and morphed his hair to black with blue and grey streaks to match. He liked his natural form, but sometimes it was just too much for him. He would leave his facial features the same, but often morphed his hair black simply because it was familiar. It was the compromise he'd come up with after several mornings nearly breaking down in tears again just from looking in the mirror. Sometimes he would experiment and morph his hair green or all blue, or really any color, in varying shades for fun, though. Tonks was generally predictable, but with Harry, neither she nor Remus knew what to expect when he came out of his room in the morning.

Harry found Remus cooking breakfast in the kitchen and happily sat down before a plate of eggs and bacon, hot off the stove. Remus smiled as he enthusiastically dug in. He placed two more plates on the table that were shortly filled similarly, then Remus sat down beside Harry.

"Did you sleep well?" Remus asked after a few minutes, though he could already guess the answer from Harry's positive attitude.

Harry nodded. "I did. And…" he hesitated, flushing slightly as he remembered the words Remus had murmured before departing. "I love you, too, Moony," he finally said, though quietly. Remus smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "And thank you for last night."

"It's my duty as your father to look after you," Remus said, grinning but with real sincerity.

Harry cocked his head to one side with a thoughtful expression. "If you're my father, does that make Tonks my mother, or my sister?" he asked, smirking. Harry was highly amused when Remus colored and he stammered out what was meant to be a diversionary comment.

"What's so funny?" Tonks asked, entering the kitchen and hearing Harry's barely stifled laughter.

"I was just asking Remus if you'll be my sister or my mother when he finally admits his feelings for you," Harry answered. Remus's color deepened and he continued stammering out excuses. Tonks reddened slightly but still managed to laugh it off.

"Sister, of course. Do I look old enough to be a mother?" she asked, scoffing.

"Well, on the way to the train station last year…" Harry began, still smirking. Tonks scowled and made a rude hand gesture in his direction as she sat down to eat, but her eyes still danced with mirth. Harry laughed as Remus cleared his throat and scolded her for it, and laughed harder when she flipped the same gesture toward Remus before picking up her fork and digging in.

The next few minutes passed in casual conversation. Only once everyone had nearly finished did Harry mention the letter he'd received from Gringotts early that morning. He passed it to Remus and then to Tonks to read. It was slightly amusing to watch both their eyes widen as they scanned the account statement.

"Well, you can't say I can't afford wolfsbane anymore," Harry pointed out. It had been an argument they'd had before, before the first full moon of the summer, but Remus insisted that the money in Harry's trust vault be used only for his education and said that he himself would do fine without it for one night. "I know my parents wouldn't mind."

Remus sighed but nodded. "You're right, I suppose. I have been fairly stubborn."

Tonks snorted at that comment. "Stubborn is an understatement," she muttered. "Bloody, bull-headed self-sacrificing git."

Harry couldn't help but laugh, and Remus looked torn between amusement and offense. "She's right, though," Harry added, smiling. "But I was thinking that we could just go in today and take care of any business we need to, and maybe visit Fred and George's shop while we're there. They've been begging me to stop by since they opened toward the end of term."

Tonks was nodding before Harry finished, but Remus looked hesitant. "As much as I'd love to, it's dangerous. Albus said there are Death Eaters and Voldemort sympathizers everywhere, and you'd have a huge target painted on your back if you went to the Alley under those conditions."

"So we go in disguise," Tonks said in a "duh" tone of voice, rolling her eyes for emphasis. "We're both metamorphmaguses, and you're perfectly competent with appearance-changing charms and human transfiguration."

"I suppose you do have a point. I'm just worried, is all. I don't want either of you in unnecessary danger."

"Anywhere we go puts us in danger, Moony. It's a hazard of living during a war. But I'm not going to let that stop me from having fun," Harry said. "Besides, if I don't go I wouldn't put it past the twins to track me down and drag me there themselves," he added with a slight smile.

Remus sighed again. "I can't fault your logic there. Very well. We can go."

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Moony. Your inner Marauder will have a blast in that shop. You won't regret it."

"I hope not," Remus muttered as Harry began the dishes.

An hour later saw a tall man with dark brown hair apparate into the Leaky Cauldron. He was accompanied by two teenagers, apparently twins, with the same dark hair and nondescript features. One teenager, the girl, had a streak of pink in her hair, which she insisted was "the height of fashion." The boy had mimicked her with a streak of neon green. The man rolled his eyes at his two "children" and just drew his wand to open the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"I thought the point was _not_ to draw attention to ourselves," he muttered as they entered the Alley.

"Come on, _Dad_. No one is going to pay attention to the hair color choice of two teenagers. They're barely even looking," the boy responded a little cheekily.

"You were right, though. The Alley isn't very cheerful today. It's such a shame," the girl said, shaking her head.

"Let's just get through Gringotts so we can get out of here. It doesn't feel safe," the man answered, glancing worriedly around them.

"I never pegged you for the paranoid one," the boy observed quietly, smirking a little. The older man ignored him, but the girl chuckled.

They entered the bank and requested to see Blogrod. The goblin looked suspicious at first, but their identity was confirmed by the boy showing the letter he'd received earlier that morning, explaining that the disguises were to avoid any unwanted attention. Blogrod seemed to agree with the man regarding the unnatural hair coloring, but remained silent and simply led the trio to his office.

"Now, Mr. Potter. What is it you require from me?" Blogrod asked once they were settled, though he looked slightly suspicious about his choice of companions.

"I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about what it means to be heir to an ancient and noble house before I claim the rings," Harry said, allowing his features to morph back to those recognized as Harry Potter, though he left the green streak. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tonks resume her usual appearance as well, and Remus lifted his glamour.

"There are books for these things," the goblin grumbled. "I suggest you locate one. Gringotts is here to manage finance, not instruct on family history." Harry nodded, slightly intimidated by the surly goblin's expression. "However, since you are already here, I suppose I can briefly instruct you so you know what you're getting into."

Harry brightened. "Thank you, sir," he said, and noticed Tonks raise an eyebrow at Harry's handling of the situation.

Blogrod simply nodded before beginning to speak. "In general, being a lord means simply being in charge of your house. You make political and financial decisions that will benefit your entire house. You also have a seat on the Wizengamot and have the opportunity—some may say _duty_ —to vote on new laws and policies and on occasion will participate in criminal trials."

"In other words, you get a lot of political power and a bunch of gold," Tonks joked, but was immediately silenced by the goblin's glare.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Harry mused. "And being heir means I inherit all that when the current lord dies, correct?"

"Correct, Mr. Potter, though usually have to be of age as well."

"Usually?"

"Yours is a special case. The previous Lord Potter was James Potter, who, of course, is dead. The previous Lord Black is also deceased." Harry tried not to wince at the mention of Sirius. "And since you are nearly at your majority, you will in fact have the choice. Were you under 14, however, you would only be allowed to claim the heirship. You could take both lordships on now, or you could simply claim the heir rings and receive the lordships on your 17th birthday," Blogrod explained.

"I'd rather claim just the heir rings for now," Harry replied a little hesitantly. "I have too much else going on to worry about a lordship right now, let alone two."

Blogrod nodded. "That is a reasonable choice. I will have them fetched from the vaults."

"Thank you," Harry said. The goblin inclined his head, a gesture of respect that surprised Tonks. Remus was still impressed, but he had experienced it before. Blogrod then called for another goblin to retrieve the rings.

Some minutes later, the younger goblin entered and placed two ornate boxes on Blogrod's desk. They briefly conversed in Gobbledegook, then the other goblin departed.

"These are the heir rings," Blogrod said, indicating the boxes. "Only the prospective heir can open the boxes. All you must do is take the ring, place it on your chosen finger, and say, 'I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim the heirship to The Ancient and Noble House of Potter.' The ring will bond with your magic and adjust to fit your finger. It will only be visible to those you choose. Then you must do the same with the ring to House Black."

Harry nodded, his mouth suddenly going dry. He really had no idea what he was getting into. He would _definitely_ be finding a few books on this type of thing. And what if, for whatever reason, the ring didn't accept him? Would he die? Lose his magic?"

Remus's hands tightened reassuringly on Harry's shoulders, and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He would be okay.

Harry stood up, trying for confident. His hands only shaking a little bit, he reached out for the box on the left. A seal was carved into the lid that reminded Harry of the Hogwarts seal. It featured a griffin and a shield and a Latin phrase Harry couldn't quite make out. But he knew that this one was the Potter ring. He hesitated a second, his hand hovering above the lid, but finally he took a deep breath and popped it open. Nothing happened, and Harry exhaled heavily. He then reached for the ring, lifting it from its velvet resting place, and slid it onto the middle finger of his left hand.

"I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim the heirship to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter," he stated confidently. There was a flash in which Harry thought he glimpsed a real griffin, then he felt the ring tighten around his finger so it fit comfortably. He also felt a curious sensation, like something foreign but not altogether unpleasant had just been injected into his veins, and it made him feel stronger. Harry assumed this was his magic responding to the ring.

"Wow," Tonks murmured as she observed the whole thing. It only lasted a moment, but Harry's eyes had flashed gold and a faint glow enveloped him for just half a second before fading away again.

"Well done, Harry," Remus said quietly, squeezing the boy's shoulders.

"Well done, Mr. Potter," Blogrod echoed with an approving nod. Harry nodded absently back. The new magic flowing through him was a heady feeling. "That sensation is the family magycks responding to you. Every Ancient and Noble house has family magycks. Generally it is only a slight boost in magical power and a special ability or two. For instance," he glanced at Tonks, whose hair had morphed to an odd orangey color with surprise, "The metamorphmagus power is part of the Black family magic, passed genetically from one generation to the next, though it often skips generations."

"Really?" Harry asked. He hadn't known that it was Black trait to be able to morph.

"Really. I believe you have inherited the ability from your grandmother, Dorea Black. She wasn't a metamorphmagus herself, but she carried the gene," Blogrod replied. "Speaking of, would you like to claim the Black heir ring now?"

Harry flushed slightly, momentarily having forgotten there were _two_ rings he had to claim. "Yes, I would," he responded, recovering his composure.

More confident this time, Harry reached out for the other box. There was a coat of arms carved onto the lid of this one, too. He didn't recognize most of the figures in it, but he did recognize the banner at the bottom that read "toujorus pur," which Harry remembered to mean "always pure." He hesitated even less time before opening the box and removing the ring. There was a distinctly different feel to it, Harry realized. As he worked on his animagus transformation, he found himself becoming more sensitive to the feel of his magic as it was necessary to spur the changes. He realized he must also be becoming more sensitive to the inherent magic in other things, as well, since he could feel the magic from the Black ring.

Like before, Harry removed the ring, but slid it onto the middle finger of his right hand this time. "I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim the heirship to the Ancient and Noble House of Black," he said confidently. He once more felt the ring resize to fit his finger. There was another flash, and Harry glimpsed a thestral, to his surprise, before it faded. Magic once again flooded his body, only this time it felt… _bolder_ , more raw. But a moment later it was over, the new magic resting just below the surface, waiting to be called.

"Wow," Harry said in wonder. "That's heady."

Remus chuckled and Tonks grinned. Blogrod nodded approvingly once again.

"Congratulations, Mr. Potter. You are now heir to the Ancient and Noble Houses of Potter and Black," the goblin said.

"Thank you, Blogrod," Harry said, nodding to the goblin. Blogrod inclined his head and summoned the younger goblin from before to take the ring boxes back to their respective vaults.

"I suggest you find yourself some books now," Blogrod said, and Harry could have _sworn_ he smirked, a spark of humor in his eyes though his demeanor remained as surly as ever.

"I will. May your gold always flow," Harry responded with a very slight bow.

"And yours as well," the goblin replied. Tonks and Remus both said their thank-yous before Blogrod escorted them out. Tonks and Harry resumed their morphs from before and Remus replaced his glamour before they left the bank.


	11. Shadows Falling

Things are heating up! Thank you all for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy Chapter 11!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 11: Shadows Falling**

They emerged from the bank to find that the heavy clouds from that morning had broken. It was drizzling slightly. There were even fewer people now on the streets than there had been before, though there were decent numbers inside the shops.

"All right, then, Harrison. Lead the way," Remus said with a smile. It was odd for Harry to be addressed as Harrison, but it was the alias he was using that day to avoid unwanted attention.

Harry grinned and took the lead. He remembered the Weasleys' shop address, having memorized half their letter in his excitement to see the shop itself. It was number 96, so Harry started counting.

"Ninety, ninety-two, ninety-four—Whoa!" He stopped short. It was a wonder he hadn't spotted it before. Number 96 was easily the busiest and most colorful shop in the whole Alley. It was a garish orange that more or less matched the Weasley hair, and there were constant bangs and hisses emitting from the partly open door and the chimney. The sign above the door read, in large block letters, "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

"This is brilliant!" Tonks exclaimed, and Remus snorted at reading the big promotional sign on one of the front windows. It read:

 _Why are you worrying about You-Know-Who?_

 _You should be worrying about U-No-Poo—_

 _The constipation sensation that's gripping the nation!_

Once Harry caught sight of it, he broke into guffaws that Tonks quickly followed. Remus was slightly more composed, but clearly only through great effort.

"Oh, let's go in!" Tonks pleaded, pulling at Remus's robe sleeve. Her expression was pleading, very much supporting her teenager persona, but in her eyes was a very mischievous glint.

Remus rolled his eyes, though still grinning, and played along. "We're going in, Jocelyn. Keep your hair on."

Harry snorted at Remus's choice of words, but excitedly pushed the heavy doors open. All manner of sounds immediately assaulted their ears, from laughter to what sounded distinctly like a muggle whoopee cushion. Plus, Harry was convinced for a moment that he'd been jinxed to see only red and orange, because that's what color virtually everything in the shop was. Then he blinked a few times and his eyes adjusted, and he realized it was just the ostentatious décor that was so outrageous. The actual products were many-colored.

For several minutes the trio wandered through the aisles, just taking it all in. Harry recognized the Skiving Snack Boxes and the fireworks the twins had used to escape Umbridge as well as the Extendable Ears, their portable swamp, and a few others. They had typical prank supplies like fanged Frisbees and dungbombs, too, but there was a whole host of things Harry had never seen before. There was even a section of muggle practical jokes that were clearly selling very well. Harry was amused to see that Remus was having trouble reigning in his inner Marauder and several joke items had made it into his hands. Tonks was staring at it all in awe, clearly wishing she'd had some of these supplies while she had been at school.

"Enjoying the merchandise, are we?"

"I hope none of it—"

"Ends up in your pocket unpaid for—"

"When you leave."

"Hi, Gred, Forge," Harry said, nodding. The twins gave him a calculating look.

"Do we know you?" George asked.

"Because you don't look familiar—" Fred continued.

"And we know quite a lot of people," George finished.

Harry adopted a hurt look, glad that they were near the back of the store now and without too many eyes on him. It was the perfect chance for him to prank the pranksters. "You don't remember me? I'm hurt, Fred. After five years, and you still can't recognize me?"

The twins exchanged a look. "Are we supposed to?" Fred asked, looking suspicious.

"Of course. We shared a tower for five years," Harry continued with a slight whine in his voice while letting his morphing slip just a little closer to the Harry Potter they knew. Tonks and Remus shared a grin behind their backs.

George looked thoughtful. "A fellow Gryffindor, then. And…going into sixth year, I presume?"

"I don't know, Forge. He could be lying," Fred said, looking Harry over critically. "Although…"

"Now that I think about it…"

"You do look _sort_ of familiar..."

Harry smiled a little and let his morphing slip a little more, enjoying their confusion immensely. He deliberately didn't respond, and instead started inspecting things on the shelf. He picked up a lump of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.

"How much does this cost?" he asked.

Fred and George exchanged another look, then answered together: "Six galleons."

Harry allowed dismay onto his face. "That much? I don't even get a discount? I thought we were friends," he said, shaking his head.

George narrowed his eyes, studying Harry more closely. "I swear we know you," he said. "Don't you think so, Gred?"

Fred narrowed his eyes too, matching his twin's expression exactly. "I think you're right, Forge. But I just…"

"Can't…"

"Place…"

" _How_ ," they finished together.

Harry hid a grin and let the rest of his morph fall. "I'm only the one who gave you the money for all this stuff," he scoffed, pretending to be offended. "Not even recognizing your own supplier. How disappointing."

The twins' eyes got wide at exactly the same moment in identical expressions of surprise. "Harry!?" they both exclaimed.

"About time! I've only been talking with you for fifteen minutes!"

"But…"

"How…"

Harry grinned again and morphed back to the face he'd worn when he first walked in. "You've been pranked, good sirs," he said, and he, Remus, and Tonks all burst out laughing when their mouths started moving soundlessly, in perfect time.

It was several minutes before they regained their composure. Then they both exclaimed, much like Tonks had upon first discovering it, "When did you become a metamorphmagus?!"

"I thought they were born,"

"Not made!"

"I didn't figure it out until this summer, but I guess I've always been able to do it," Harry answered with a shrug.

"Shall we take this upstairs, gentlemen?" Tonks asked, winking and resuming her usual appearance as well for a brief moment before returning to the disguise.

"Of course," they said in unison, bowing slightly. Then they led the way toward the back, Remus trailing behind and looking highly amused. Fred called out to someone named Verity to cover the shop and got a affirmative response. Fred and George then led the trio up a set of stairs into a flat. Harry looked around, idly observing the twins' living quarters. Then they shut the door and rounded on them.

"Now. Explain," they said together, doing a fairly accurate impression of their mother with their arms folded pointedly across their chests.

Harry grinned, resuming his usual appearance. Tonks followed suit, and Remus lifted his glamor once again. Harry smirked at their look of surprise at seeing their former professor, but also appeared to be resigned, as if they should have expected it. And so Harry explained, after having them promise again not to tell anyone. He left out the really important details, like becoming an animagus, but otherwise recounted it all. By the end, the twins were flabbergasted, but thrilled at having pulled one over on the Order.

"You realize everyone is looking for you, right?" George asked.

"But good Remus here has assured everyone that you're okay—"

"So at least they're not panicking—"

"Except for Mum," they finished together, shaking their heads in unison.

"Why is your mum panicking?" Tonks asked curiously.

"Because her little Harrikins—"

"Is all alone in the world—"

"Without an adult to look after him."

"And having just been through such a traumatic experience,"

"Who knows what could have happened?" George added, pretending to swoon.

"She's convinced you're living on the streets, mate," Fred finished, rolling his eyes.

"Well, now you can tell your dear old mum that you've seen me and I'm still alive, with all my limbs intact," Harry replied, echoing Fred's eye roll. He loved Mrs. Weasley, he really did, but she was sometimes just a little too much. "Maybe I'll drop by Headquarters someday soon, just to prove that I really am still around."

"Ron thinks you and Tonks eloped, since she hasn't been to the meetings recently, either," George pointed out.

"Yeah, it's really disappointed Mum. Ever since you and Charlie met, she's been trying to play matchmaker," Fred added, nodding at Tonks. She rolled her eyes.

"Charlie and I have _never_ been more than just friends. I think he'd rather marry one of his dragons than any girl in the Isles," she said.

"Well, it's mostly 'cuz of Fleur," Fred explained, shrugging.

"Triwizard champion,"

"And Bill's girlfriend."

"She doesn't approve," George said, shrugging.

"You two are giving me a headache by talking like that," Remus said, shaking his head and speaking for the first time. "It's worse than James and Padfoot ever were."

Both twins suddenly perked up. "Did you say _Padfoot_?"

"As in _the_ Padfoot?"

"The one on the Marauders' Map?"

" _The_ Padfoot?!" Fred repeated.

Harry laughed. "They idolize you guys," he said to Remus, who chuckled.

"It would appear so."

"Well, Mr. Moony, your secret's out now," Tonks interjected, smirking.

" _Moony!?_ " Both twins exclaimed.

"The one and only," Harry said proudly. "Mr. Moony, meet Fred and George Weasley, the two-man next generation Marauders. Though, I reckon you four still have them beat."

Fred and George looked awed, then suddenly in unison they bowed low, their noses basically touching the ground. "It is a great honor to meet you, Mr. Moony."

"We are not worthy to be in the presence of such magnificence."

"We only hope you have found us worthy successors."

Harry rolled his eyes at their antics. "Get up, guys," he said, and to his surprise, they did.

"Who were the other Marauders?" they asked eagerly.

"Have we met them?"

"Well, you've met one other. Padfoot was Sirius Black," Tonks explained. "The other two were James Potter, who was Prongs, and Peter Pettigrew, or Wormtail," she finished.

"But we don't speak of him," Harry said darkly. The twins nodded solemnly.

"But you're the son of Prongs?" Fred suddenly asked, and Harry couldn't help but grin.

"That's me," he said, puffing out his chest and making the others chuckle. "Harry Potter, son of Prongs. So it's a good think you already gave me the Map, or I may have had to steal it from you as part of my inheritance," he added with a smirk.

"As fun as this is, I'd love to check out some of your products," Tonks broke in.

"Of course, Miss Tonks," the twins said. "Right this way,

"And we shall give you a proper tour."

Tonks grinned, then she and Harry morphed back to their disguises and Remus restored his glamour.

"By the way, for the length of this trip we're Harrison and Jocelyn Carter, and Remus is John," Harry said as they left the twins' flat and headed down the stairs.

"Just as well. Now, here we have the Extendable Ears, with which I imagine you have already had some experience with…" George began, and so began their tour. Aside from a few times they were called away by troublesome customers, the twins showed them the entire shop. They stepped onto the rainy street with their money bags considerably lighter (though Fred and George had refused to accept more than a quarter of the full cost from Harry, claiming that he had a third share in the business anyway as the source of their startup funds) and pockets considerably heavier with shrunken prank materials. Harry made a mental note to be extra careful for the next few days, especially—the look in Tonks's eye was dangerous.

They had only gone about a hundred meters from the shop when suddenly several black-robed figures appeared out of nowhere, wands blazing.

"Attack! Death Eaters in Diagon Alley!" Someone shouted. There was an eruption of noise, mostly shouts of alarm. Adrenaline flooded Harry's veins, wand immediately in his hand.

"Everyone who won't or can't fight, _stay inside_ ," Harry shouted. He would _not_ be even partially responsible for another innocent's death.

" _Expecto Patronum_ ," Remus muttered, followed by a series of other phrases that Harry didn't quite catch through the escalating noise. He was sending a message to Dumbledore and the Order. Harry and Tonks had already been thrown into the fray, flanked by shopkeepers and adult patrons, plus the Weasley twins, all of them immediately engaging the Death Eaters.

Harry found himself dueling harder than he ever had before. The other noise in the Alley was tuned out as he focused on the fight. His opponent, like the rest, wore a mask. Harry had no clue as to his identity, but he didn't hesitate. He'd already seen a few sickly green spells in the crossfire, and he knew one wrong move could mean his death. Half his spells were spoken, the rest silent. Instead of casting shields, Harry chose instead to dodge offensive spells wherever possible.

Some of the Death Eaters were easy to pick off. Harry sent off rounds of stunners and other incapacitating hexes, leaving a line of moaning black-clad wizards lying on the cobblestones, some with bloody wounds. Others weren't as easy. At one point Harry would swear he was dueling Bellatrix before she was distracted by a hex from behind and switched her focus. Harry sent a hex at her unprotected back as well, and he and the unseen duelist on the other side kept her on her toes until finally she broke away, snarling. Two torture curses just barely missed Harry, and his relief was tangible.

Soon Harry found himself dueling another Death Eater, unfortunately not a second-rate duelist like many of the others. The other wizard was fighting dirty, and Harry was hard-pressed to avoid all the spells sent his way. A rushing sound filled Harry's ears, effectively drowning out every other sound. His feet moved in a dance, twisting and narrowly dodging around multicolored death traps while his arm cut through the air with his own curses. His heart pounded, but from adrenaline, not exertion. For once Harry was grateful for his morning exercise routine. An ugly red spell sliced through the air toward Harry; he spun, but not fast enough. The cutting curse sliced a gash in his upper arm.

Gritting his teeth, Harry sent one right back, followed by a stunner and a tickling hex and finishing with an _Expelliarmus_. All four spells were colored red, and Harry was counting on the Death Eater not recognizing the difference until it was too late. The tickling hex hit through sheer luck and the other wizard coughed as it took effect. Harry took advantage of the distraction to move in closer, wand still flying. Finally he got off a solid stunner, but too late for his opponent had sent a blasting curse his way. It missed but hit the ground by Harry's feat. He was thrown through the air by the force and collided with the wall of a shop Harry didn't even realize was behind him. The impact completely drove the breath from Harry's lungs and he lay groaning in a pile of rubble.

Only moments later he heard a series of _cracks_. There was a sudden and short upsurge in the noise level, the magic crackling in the air like lightning. Following was another series of _cracks_ and a number of curses. Harry raised himself on his elbow, wincing, and saw about a dozen witches and wizards in the red Auror robes, and not a single Death Eater to be seen but the few on the ground, mingling with the downed civilians. Harry hoped desperately no one had been killed. A shop had caught fire down the Alley, one more was smoking oddly, and a good half of the rest were damaged. There was rubble everywhere.

Suddenly Harry's vision went blurry, accompanied by a particularly painful throb at the back of his head, and he collapsed back to the ground.

He came to a few minutes later, eyes opening to see the blurred face of a familiar pink-haired witch with a worried expression on her face. "Ungh," Harry groaned, closing his eyes again; the light hurt.

"You okay, Harry?" Harry was surprised to hear a slight quaver in her voice.

"M'fine," he mumbled. "Now 'elp me up," he added, slightly raising one hand. Although he didn't see it, he could practically hear Tonks roll her eyes. But her hand closed around his wrist and with deceptive strength, she helped Harry stand. Once on his feet, however, he swayed and fell back against the wall of the shop. "Maybe m' not fine," he mumbled, and Tonks chuckled slightly.

"At least you're standing. I'll be back in a sec," she said and jogged into the crowd of the shoppers emerging from their places of safety to observe the carnage. The Aurors and, Harry was gratified to see, a good portion of the Order though sans Dumbledore, were trying to restore order and get a head count of the injured. Harry spotted Kingsley with the Aurors as well as Mad-Eye Moody and a stern-faced, dumpy witch in Auror robes Harry vaguely recognized from his trial the year previous. He remembered her because she'd been the only one who was truly fair to him, and she'd asked about his Patronus. But with his brain muddled from the hit, he couldn't place her name.

The Order members were working with the Aurors to do damage control. Several people he saw carted away via portkey, presumably to St. Mungos if they weren't a Death Eater. Those were sent to the Ministry holding cells. Harry spotted Remus among the crowd, battered but otherwise unhurt. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Tonks was helping as well, though he noted with some concern that the left sleeve of her robe was bloody and she appeared to be limping.

A few minutes later, when it was nearly impossible for Harry to remain on his feet, the large group had made it over toward where Harry was. Remus was the first beside him, running a diagnostic charm that Harry recognized from both his lessons in healing with Remus and the countless times he'd watched Madame Pomphrey perform the same spell on _him_.

"How are you, Harry?" Remus asked urgently.

"A bit of a headache and a little sore, but otherwise I'm fine," Harry replied, shrugging with one shoulder because he only just now realized the other—the one that had hit the brick wall—was throbbing.

Remus frowned, clearly believing his spell more than Harry's word. "You'll be fine after a few days' rest," Remus finally said. "But good job at taking a few of them down with you," he added with a slight smile, glancing toward the limp figures of the Death Eaters Harry had fought.

"They were hardly any challenge," Harry complained, unable to keep from bragging a little bit. "How am I supposed to practice my dueling skills in real life if my opponents are useless?"

"You should be grateful for that, Harry," Tonks cut in, joining them on the other side. She glanced at the group behind them. Catching Fred' eye, she nodded. The twin nodded back, looking relieved that they were all okay. "Looks like they're cleaning up nicely. They probably don't need us here anymore, so let's go," she said. The other two nodded in agreement, though Harry winced, and the three of them apparated out of the Alley.

They reappeared in the sitting room of Harry's cottage, where he was promptly pushed down onto the sofa. Remus ran a more thorough diagnostic and sent Tonks to retrieve a collection of potions. Remus's frown grew more and more pronounced as the diagnostic listed off his injuries.

"Concussion, fractured shoulder, minor and major lacerations, heavy bruising, damage from dark spells…" Remus muttered, and Harry was slightly worried at the fierce look in his eyes. "Merlin, cub. What did they do to you?" he said softly.

"Moony? I'll be fine," Harry said hesitantly.

"Well, you sure as hell aren't now," Remus practically growled.

Just at that moment Tonks returned with a handful of colorful vials in her hands. She frowned at the list of injuries as she put the potions on the side table, then faced Remus.

"Remus, he'll be fine once you get on with healing him," she said reasonably.

"What about you, Tonks?" Harry asked, starting to sit up. He was _almost_ angry when two pairs of hands shoved him back down, but not quite because his head started spinning and he was glad to lie down again.

"I'm fine. I already took care of what I could," she replied. "Now, _you_ , Remus Lupin, had better start healing Harry before I botch the job and we have to take him to St. Mungos," she said fiercely.

Remus opened his mouth to argue, then finally sighed and nodded. He carefully schooled his emotions and set about murmuring the healing spells.

"You're damn lucky I learned how to heal concussions at school, or you'd have no choice but to see Madame Pomphrey," Remus muttered. Harry winced at the idea of being subject to Hogwarts' mediwitch's wand. He also dimly noted how odd it was to hear Remus curse because he was usually so calm. But his vision was going fuzzy. He felt a vial pushed into his hand, and almost on instinct Harry downed it, followed by two more. He gagged as they went down. A glass of water was put in his hand, so Harry drank that, too. He'd just barely set it down when the potions all kicked in and he passed out.

Harry came to around dinnertime, when the sun was beginning to set. His whole body was sore and his head ached, but it seemed the potions had helped somewhat. He tried to suppress a groan when he turned his head and was startled when Remus was almost instantly beside him, kneeling on the floor beside the sofa. He must have been sitting close by.

"How do you feel, cub?" Remus asked, his voice quiet but worried.

"Sore, but otherwise I'm fine," Harry answered, wincing slightly as he unconsciously shifted. Remus gave him a disbelieving look. "Okay, I'm _really_ sore and my head hurts," Harry corrected himself. "You can hardly blame _me_ for downplaying injuries when _you_ do it all the time," he muttered. He heard a slight chuckle and knew Tonks was nearby as well and had heard him.

Remus sighed. "I'm just worried about you, cub," he said. "We should have sent you home after we finished at the bank," he muttered to himself.

Harry frowned but before he could retort, Tonks did. "You worry too much, Remus. Harry's more than competent as a duelist. Hell, he's almost defeated _me_ more than once, and _I'm_ a fully qualified auror. Most of Voldemort's Death Eaters are second-rate idiots who barely know which end of the wand to cast with. And you know as well as I do that it's inevitable that people will get hurt. We can't defend against _every_ possibility."

"And I've had worse," Harry cut in, "and survived with hardly a scar. Compared to other years, this is nothing."

Remus winced slightly. "Not what I wanted to hear, cub." He shook his head. "All those times you've nearly died, and you wonder why I worry?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm sorry?" he said sheepishly. Remus finally chuckled slightly.

"Just rest, Harry, and please try not to put yourself in any more danger, if not for your sake then for the sake of my sanity."

Harry grinned. "I will, Moony. Speaking of danger, I may be in danger of starving to death. When's dinner?"

Remus and Tonks burst into laughter. "I'll heat up something. Let Tonks know if you need anything."

Harry and Tonks both nodded and Remus headed to the kitchen. Tonks then snuck Harry another pain-relieving potion.

"I'm not blind, kid," she said with a smirk when Harry tried to protest. "Take it and be glad. Then you can either rest or study, your choice." Harry promptly closed his eyes, and Tonks chuckled.

Before long, Remus brought three plates out to the sitting room. Tonks helped Harry into a sitting position so he could eat. The meal passed lightly, and Harry opted to sleep on the sofa to avoid extra movement. Tonks and Remus retired to their respective beds after wishing him a good-night.


	12. Studying

Hi everyone! This is kind of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoy it! Next chapter will be more exciting, so stay tuned. And don't forget to review!

 **Chapter 12: Studying**

It was several days before Harry was sufficiently recovered from his injuries. He tried to go back to his normal activities the day immediately following the attack, but Remus caught him in the morning as he tried to leave to do his usual exercises. Needless to say, Remus sent him straight back to bed and forbade Harry to do anything more strenuous than walk from his bedroom to the sitting room or kitchen. Pouting, Harry sat himself down in the sitting room with his textbooks strewn about him while Tonks smirked from her spot on the chair nearby.

That was more or less how he passed the following four days. On the plus side, he made quite a lot of progress in his studies. He was nearing the end of his fifth year Runes textbook and was remarkably competent in the material. Harry was fairly confident that when the time came, he could easily pass the Runes OWL exam. He was also nearly halfway through the DADA curriculum for sixth year and had gotten a head start on the sixth year material in Transfiguration and Charms as well. Arithmancy was coming along a little more slowly, but Harry was making good progress and was nearly done with the fifth year material.

On the downside, Remus was more protective than ever. Since the attack he'd gone to another meeting for the Order of the Phoenix, and it made him even more paranoid to know what was going on everywhere else. Because of that, it was becoming difficult for Harry to hide his studies for his animagus transformation, and he was growing nervous about revealing it to him when the time came.

Tonks, on the other hand, was pushing Harry harder than ever, though she maintained her cheery demeanor. She even began teaching Harry to apparate even though he wouldn't ordinarily receive lessons until partway into his sixth year. Given the fact that Harry wasn't even sixteen yet, those lessons weren't entirely legal. However, instead of reprimanding them when he found out, Remus encouraged it. He insisted things would have been different had Harry known how to apparate, that Harry wouldn't have been injured. Harry didn't care for Remus's newfound overprotective tendencies, but he was excited to learn apparition so he let it go for the time being.

Harry's first lesson took place the day after Tonks declared him fully recovered (Remus would have preferred him to rest another day or two, even though all Harry's injuries had healed). Tonks brought Harry out to the yard behind the cottage and had set up a few hoops in the grass. Remus stood by, ready to intervene should something go wrong.

"Okay. Apparition is the most common form of transportation for wizards, closely followed by Floo travel. Basically, apparition is what muggles would call teleportation—near-instantaneous travel from one place to another. So long as there aren't wards in place to prevent it, that is. However, it's difficult to get the hang of and incredibly uncomfortable," Tonks said, grimacing slightly. "It is also very dangerous to get wrong. I can almost guarantee you'll splinch yourself at _least_ once while learning how."

"What's splinching?" Harry asked. It didn't sound pleasant in the slightest.

Tonks grinned. "It's leaving part of yourself behind. It's what happens when you're not properly focused on your destination. It's completely reversible, though it's painful, and luckily Remus and I know how to fix it. So don't worry if you leave a leg or an arm behind—It's not permanent."

Harry looked unsure. "I guess I should make sure I'm focused, then," he said.

"Enthusiasm! Good. We'll make progress then," Tonks exclaimed. "Now, the process is actually relatively simple. You have be focused _very_ firmly on your destination, where you want to go. Right now, that's the inside of the hoop closest to you. You have to _will_ yourself into that hoop. It's your one and only desire right now," Tonks said seriously, though she was grinning.

"Then, you have to summon your magic to make that wish come true. It's actually similar to accidental magic," she added thoughtfully. "You make your magic do what you want it to. Anyway. To do it, when you're completely focused on your destination and you feel ready, you basically just step into a quarter-turn. If you did it right, you'll end up inside the hoop. If you didn't, you either don't move, or only half of you makes it there," she added with a wicked glint in her eye.

Harry eyed her and the hoop six feet in front of him. "You want me to mess up, don't you?" he asked rhetorically. Tonks's answer was a widening grin.

"Don't worry about it, cub. She's right, but she's making it sound much more difficult than it really is," Remus said with a smile. "Pretend she's not there," he suggested, grinning when Tonks glared at him.

Harry nodded. He knew it ought to work, as he'd experienced apparation several times before, but he was doubtful in his own ability. The inside of the hoop didn't look all that interesting. But, he supposed he'd have to build up to it. So, Harry studied the inside of the hoop until he could picture it in his mind and closed his eyes. He imagined the inside of the hoop, willing himself to appear there. When he thought he was ready, he turned sideways…

And promptly tripped over his own feet, landing hard on his bum in the grass. Tonks burst into laughter. Harry muttered to himself, aimed his wand at her, and sent a silent tripping jinx at her left shoe. She dropped to the ground, confused and annoyed. Thankfully, though, she didn't retaliate. The grass _was_ wet from the rain the night before. Harry picked himself up, pleased his revenge had gone off without a hitch, as did Tonks.

"Not too bad for a first try," Remus said from the sideline. "James tripped and landed facedown at Lily's feet. Broke his glasses, too," he added, chuckling. Harry smiled, glad for another glimpse into his father's life.

"He's right," Tonks said grudgingly. "It wasn't all that bad. Give it another go."

Harry did, and ended up on the ground again. And so it went. They practiced for an hour, but Harry's only progress was when he got frustrated and tried to jump to the hoop. Predictably, he missed, slipped, and twisted his ankle on the damp grass. Though, his last few tries he thought he'd felt _something_ , a tingling of some sort.

"That's good. It means you're getting closer," Remus said when Harry mentioned it. "It will probably take a few more lessons before you manage it, though, so don't get discouraged."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Moony."

The rest of the day passed in study. In the evening, as Harry finished the last problem in his Runes book, he began to wonder when his OWL results would come. He was nearly ready to take the tests for Runes and Arithmancy, but he couldn't help but start to wonder how he'd done on the other examinations.

"They usually sent them out about a month after the end of term," Tonks said with a shrug. She was finishing up some paperwork for the Ministry in the front room while Harry studied. "It's been at least that long, so they should be coming soon."

"Good," Harry answered, and went back to his animagus studies. He was getting so close, but he just couldn't manage to transform his head, and the tail never appeared either. He could transform each limb individually, though not together, and the same was true for his torso. Tonks was nearly done with hers as well. Harry was hesitant to make any physical changes at the moment, when Remus could walk in at any time and know immediately what Harry was trying to do. So, he was studying the anatomy and practicing some simple wandless spells. He figured that, since the animagus transformation was wandless magic, with practice casting wandlessly the transformation ought to come easier. But Harry was unable to make much progress that evening, so after his daily Occlumency exercises, he retired to bed.

The day following Harry greatly enjoyed being able to run without any pain. His body welcomed the exercise after four days of resting. Tonks even joined him and challenged him to a race. Harry won by a very small margin, but it put him in a good mood for the rest of the day to have finally beaten the young auror at _something_.

After he'd showered and dressed, Harry went to the kitchen where Remus had already prepared breakfast. With a smile and a thank-you, Harry sat down to scrambled eggs and sausage. He had only eaten a few bites when an owl appeared in the distance but approaching fast. Harry caught his breath—was this his OWL results? The owl didn't look familiar. He hurriedly opened the kitchen window and held his breath when the owl fluttered in and landed on the counter, extending its leg. Tied to it was a very official-looking envelope and Harry's mouth went dry.

"Well, cub? Aren't you going to take it?" Remus asked with some amusement. Harry couldn't answer, and it was only when Tonks entered, saw the owl, and commented that he finally moved.

"Is that your OWL results? You'd better take it before the owl flies away again with the letter still attached," she teased.

Harry nodded and swallowed, and with shaking fingers he untied the letter. The owl gave a hoot of annoyance before taking off again. Harry turned the letter over, noting that the message only had his name on it. Apparently the goblin wards Harry had commissioned around the cottage were doing their job. Owls could find him, but the wards disabled any tracking spells and repelled anything that was anything more than an innocent sheet of parchment.

"Well, go on. Open it. Maybe you can beat me at OWLs, too," Tonks said with a grin.

Hands still shaking, Harry broke the seal and unfolded the parchment. He had to read it through four times before he registered what he was seeing and a smile broke out across his face. "I did it!" Harry said happily.

"Let me see!" Tonks insisted, and Harry kept the parchment out of her reach, enjoying her protests, before finally handing it over. Unfolding it, she read aloud:

 _OWL Results_

 _Harry James Potter has achieved:_

 _Astronomy A_

 _Care of Magical Creatures E_

 _Charms E_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts O_

 _Divination P_

 _Herbology E_

 _History of Magic D_

 _Potions E_

 _Transfiguration E_

"Well done, cub," Remus said with a smile. "Seven OWLs. And you even passed Astronomy. I deliberately didn't try very hard—I hated looking at the moon," he added. "And the exam itself was just two days before the full moon. So you can imagine how unpleasant that was."

Harry smiled understandingly—he'd noticed, now more than before, that the week leading up to the full moon was difficult for the older man.

Tonks was studying the list silently, a frown beginning to form. Finally it turned into a pout. "Damn it. You _did_ beat me. I didn't get a single O and I only got half as many E's as you. Granted, I took different and more difficult subjects, but still." She frowned again and handed Harry back his results.

"What about Potions, though? Did Snape let you in with a lower grade?" Harry asked, realizing sadly that he wouldn't be able to formally continue Potions with only an E.

Tonks smiled a little and shook her head. "Nope. He was just as stingy then as he is now. I did self-study with the help of a few friends who _did_ get into his class and took the NEWT on my own. That didn't stop Mad-Eye from giving me remedial potions once I got into auror training, though," she added with a grimace.

"Probably because you nearly blew up the auror potions lab the first or second time you were there," Remus said mildly. Tonks sputtered.

"How did you know that?"

Remus smiled, clearly amused. "You'd be surprised how much Moody likes to complain about you," he replied. Tonks huffed and sat down at the table at Harry's nearly-untouched plate and started to eat. Harry protested when he noticed, but Tonks just smirked at him and Remus handed him a new plate with an indulgent smile. "I swear, the two of you act just like siblings," he muttered to himself, sitting down at his own place to join them in the meal.

Tonks and Harry exchanged a look and a grin. The feeling was mutual. The rest of breakfast passed in playful banter and easy conversation. Harry and Tonks helped with the clean-up, and just as they were putting away the last few dishes, _another_ owl flew through the window. Harry recognized it as Pig, Ron's owl. The excitable little bird fluttered around the kitchen, knocking a few things out of place, before it finally landed on Harry's head and started preening his hair.

Grumbling, Harry grabbled the tennis-ball-sized bird and pulled it out of his hair while Tonks laughed hysterically. The owl was carrying three letters, all of them bigger than itself, and Harry shook his head. He took the letters, then, as revenge on Tonks for laughing at him, he tossed the owl towards her head, where Pig happily made a perch in her spiky pink hair. Harry fled before she could retaliate.

Once Harry was safely in his room, a number of different locking spells on his door including one he'd created himself, he set the envelopes on his desk. Unsurprisingly, two were from Ron and Hermione respectively, most likely about OWL results. The other, surprisingly, was from Ginny. He hadn't heard back from her since the last letter he'd sent about two weeks ago. He set it aside for later, knowing Hermione at least would want an answer as soon as possible. He opened Ron's letter first.

 _Harry,_ it read,

 _We got our OWL results this morning. How'd you do, mate? I got a mix of E's and A's, but failed Trelawney's and Binns's classes. But who cares about them? I even got an E in DADA! I reckon it's all thanks to you, mate, and the DA. Answer back quick; Hermione's going mental here! And come visit, mate. It's dead boring here with only Mum, Dad, Hermione, and Ginny here!_

 _See you soon,_

 _Ron_

Harry smiled. It was typical of Ron, to barely mention the grades and then complain. He was glad his friend had done so well, though. Seven OWLs, like Harry. He set Ron's note aside to answer later and picked up Hermione's, bracing himself for a rehash of all the exams and a rant about how she failed because she didn't get straight O's in every subject.

 _Harry_ , she began,

 _Have you got your OWL results yet? They came in this morning. I was so nervous, I was sure I'd failed everything! I knew I'd messed up Ancient Runes, I definitely made at least one serious mistranslation. The Defense Against the Dark Arts practical went terribly. I thought I'd done all right on Transfiguration, but looking back I was sure I messed up something. I knew I 'd messed up Charms…_

Harry shook his head and skipped Hermione's page-long rant on everything she messed up and went straight to where she reported her grades—halfway down the second page.

 _I only got nine OWLs. I only barely managed an E in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ron thinks I'm mental for being disappointed, but what if I needed to know something that I missed? Especially Defense. What a class to fail, when we're in the middle of a war! Oh, I do hope I do all right in the NEWT classes. Term starts again in a month, you know._

 _Please come and visit, Harry. Ron is driving me mad, though Ginny's all right. I can tell everyone misses you, though. I'm sure there's a good reason you're staying hidden, but it couldn't hurt to come to the Burrow for a few days, could it? Do be careful, Harry._

 _Your friend,_

 _Hermione_

Harry smiled indulgently. The letter was everything he'd expected, and he was pleased they both wanted him to come visit. He'd have to work something out. Maybe around his birthday in two weeks. He set her letter aside and pulled a blank piece of parchment toward him. He heard Tonks banging on his door and an occasional squawk of protest from Pig, but he just cast a silencing charm at it and ignored them.

 _Ron and Hermione,_

 _That's great that you both did well on your OWLs. Great job, Ron, on your passes. I got my results today, too. Seven OWLs, and failed those same classes. But it was inevitable, right, considering I did collapse halfway through the History of Magic exam? And Divination is useless. I did get an O in Defense, though. Sorry, guys, but I can't help but brag a little. Hermione, Ron is right—you_ are _mental for being disappointed with_ nine _OWLs. You'll be fine. You're still the smartest witch of your age. Though, I might try to beat you out for smartest_ wizard _. I've been studying Ancient Runes and Arithmancy this summer and I'm almost ready to take the OWLs for both of them. Maybe I'll beat you._

 _Sorry I haven't been able to visit yet this summer. I've been really busy. But I will try to come 'round in a week or two—nothing beats your mum's birthday cakes, Ron. And my birthday_ is _coming up…_

 _Hoping to see you soon. Don't kill each other, all right? Or I'll tell Ginny to keep you both in line! You know how good she is with a wand now since the DA._

 _Until later,_

 _Harry_

Harry scanned the letter and decided it was good enough. He folded it up, half-tempted to seal it with the Potter house ring just to shake them up a bit, but decided to keep that a secret for as long as possible. Instead, he read Ginny's letter. It was fuller than Ron's, though not nearly as long as Hermione's.

She briefly mentioned OWLs and how her brother and Hermione had reacted when the official owls actually arrived. Her description of Hermione's panic made Harry laugh. Then she answered a few of Harry's comments from his last letter and gave an update on the state of affairs in the Weasley household. Apparently Bill and his girlfriend had come to stay with them, something the other two had apparently forgotten to mention in the excitement of their OWL results. She ended with a request for a visit, as everyone was driving her mental.

Harry smiled and wrote a reply, sealing it up. Then he called Hedwig, who was perched on top of his dresser resting, to take Ron and Hermione's letter. She nipped his ear playfully as he secured the envelope. He had her wait until he sent off Pig as well, though. Then Harry removed his silencing charm from his door, to hear continued quiet. He deactivated his locking spells, opening the door slightly, and stuck his wand through the crack.

" _Accio_ Pigwidgeon," he whispered. The little owl came zooming around the corner. Harry caught him and immediately closed the door again, hearing Tonks coming down the hall. He'd face her after his letters were sent. The owl appeared unharmed, so Harry tied Ginny's letter to his leg.

"Keep an eye on this one, all right, Hedwig?" Harry said to his owl. She hooted in agreement and gave the other owl, who was zipping around the room waiting to be sent out, a disapproving look. "To the Burrow. Safe journey, girl," he said. She nipped his fingertip affectionately and shuffled Pig out the window before taking off after him.

"Harrison James Potter, open this door immediately!" Tonks's voice came from the other side. Harry grimaced.

"You do know that's not my real name, right?" he called back, readying his wand. He knew he could escape out the window, but it was better to get it over with.

"It is now! Open the door so I can curse you into next year for what that _bird_ did to my hair!"

Harry couldn't help but chuckle, but the tone of the auror's voice told him he would be unwise to delay it any longer—another moment or two and she might just blast the door down. So, he cast a shield charm and tossed a lit smoke bomb he'd found at Fred and George's shop toward the door. When the smoke was thick, he spelled the door open and dodged around Tonks, hurrying out to the yard. He was just in time, too, because as soon as the door opened she released a stream of hexes and jinxes he was glad he avoided. The colored smoke confused her momentarily, but she recovered quickly and chased Harry out to the garden. There a full-out duel ensued.


	13. Transformations

Here's the latest installment of _In Control_! I hope you enjoy. As always, thanks for the reviews, and don't forget to leave your comments on this chapter as well!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 13: Transformation**

The week that followed Harry's receiving of his OWL results was spent in intense study. Nearly all his energy was focused on studying for his Ancient Runes and Arithmancy OWLs, which he hoped to take that weekend at the Ministry, and mastering his animagus transformation. He was _so_ close he could almost literally taste it. Harry finally managed to fully transform his head the Tuesday after receiving his OWLs, eight days before the full moon, and he managed to acquire his tail the next day—though he couldn't make it go away for several hours, and it took some quick spell work from Tonks (who was laughing almost to the point of tears) to keep Remus from seeing when he walked in unexpectedly when he was supposed to be resting.

Aside from the animagus transformation, Harry was studying feverishly for his two OWLs. It got to the point where his dreams were often intertwined with rune sets and arithmatic equations. Both Tonks and Remus were helping him study and prepare, but Remus soon became indisposed as the full moon quickly approached. It was worse than the previous moon. Five days beforehand he more or less took ill, and the ache in his bones made it hard for him to move. Watching his surrogate father struggle only increased Harry's determination to master his transformation before the day of the full moon.

Finally, the Friday Harry was to take his tests arrived. Remus was laid up, so he was only able to wish Harry luck. Tonks escorted Harry to the Ministry at nine in the morning and led him to the appropriate place. It was up on the fifth floor, the same place Apparition tests would take place—a skill which Harry had finally mastered after a week of constant practice, though he had yet to get his license.

The room was completely unadorned, the only furniture being about thirty individual desks like the ones that had filled the Great Hall during the normal OWL exams at Hogwarts. There were several other kids about Harry's age there as well. He recognized a few from his year at Hogwarts, plus one or two students a year older than Harry who apparently had had to repeat fifth year and retake their OWLs. There was even a student who appeared even younger than Harry, taking his OWLS early. The rest Harry didn't recognize and assumed they were homeschooled for some reason.

At the front of the room was a ministry wizard who Harry recognized had administered the tests at Hogwarts. Tonks wished Harry luck and said she'd pick him up after he was done, and that in the meantime she'd try to get some work done. Harry nodded and found a seat after she left, feeling butterflies in his stomach.

"Welcome. You are all here to take or retake one or more of your OWL exams. As very few of you are taking the same test, there is no point in attempting to cheat. You will be provided with anti-cheating quills and you will be silent. When you finish the written exam, raise your hand and I will collect your written test and take you to another room where you will do the practical, if one is required." The wizard was very strict, and Harry's stomach clenched. "If you are taking more than one test, you will be allowed a twenty-minute break to refresh yourself before returning for the second test. Any questions?" There were none. "Then you may begin."

Harry jumped slightly as his exam appeared on his desk, with two quills and a jar of ink. Swallowing hard, he flipped the test over. _Ordinary Wizarding Level for Ancient Runes_ , it read across the top. Harry took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He could do this. He picked up one quill and dipped it in the inkpot, then wrote his name on the top. Then he started working slowly through the questions, checking and double-checking each answer. He was pleased to find that most of the translations came easily, and many of the rune sets he was asked to either create or dissect were ones he had studied recently. He was stumped by a number of the problems, but did the best he could.

An hour and a half later, Harry set his quill down and flexed his wrist, which was sore from all the writing. He looked up and saw that three of the students were already gone, either doing their practical or completely finished. Harry took a deep breath and raised his hand. The examiner came and collected his test, then directed him to a door to the front right of the room that he had previously not noticed. He hesitated, not sure if he should knock, but before he could make up his mind, the door opened on its own. His heart thudding against his ribcage, Harry entered.

"Harry Potter?" the examiner inside asked, seeming completely uninterested that the Boy-Who-Lived had just entered.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered, swallowing—his mouth had gone dry.

"Create a rune set to lock this chest with at least four separate components. You have as much time as you need. When you are finished, bring it to me and we will test it," the other man said, conjuring an ornate jewelry box on the desk in front of him.

"Yes, sir," Harry said again, and took the box to the other desk in the room. There was also a stack of parchment and a quill. Harry worked through three possible combinations before settling on one and refining it. He showed it to the examiner, who told him to carve it into the jewelry box. Harry did so, more confident now than he'd been before—for the last two weeks Tonks had drilled him on proper rune carving techniques and showed him how to make it subtle and part of the design rather than an obvious rune pattern. Harry carved the rune sequence in a repeating pattern all the way around the lid and once below the latch. He then powered it with a tap of his wand and handed the box back to the examiner. He studied it briefly, then dismissed Harry through a door behind him after telling him to return in exactly twenty minutes to take his second test.

Fairly confident that he'd done well but still nervous about his results, Harry made his way to the cafeteria, taking a moment to step into a loo and morph his appearance just enough to deflect attention. He found Tonks in the cafeteria and she came to sit by him, inquiring how his first test went.

"All right," Harry answered with a shrug. "It was Ancient Runes. I'm fairly confident it will be at least an E."

Tonks grinned. "Great job, Harry. I'm sure you did great, and you'll do just as well in Arithmany,"she said.

"Thanks," Harry replied. He ate the last few bites of his turkey sandwich then stood up. "I'd better get back. They only gave me twenty minutes."

"Good luck, Harry," Tonks said, waving. "Come find me if I'm not there already when you finish."

"Will do. See ya," Harry said, waving back as he left.

He returned to the testing room almost exactly twenty minutes after he left, feeling rejuvenated, though still a bit nervous. His Arithmancy test went much the same, though there was no practical as one of the only applications of Arithmancy, besides in rune patterns, was spell creation and that wasn't something that could be tested directly. So it went faster than the last test. Harry was finished in just over an hour. He was informed he would receive his results within two weeks' time and was then dismissed.

Tonks wasn't back yet, so Harry went to the Auror Department to find her. He met her on the way and they left together. Once outside the ministry wards, they apparated back to Harry's cottage.

Harry was eager to share his experience with Remus, then he took a break from his studies for the rest of the day. Tonks heartily approved, stating that Harry studied too much. Harry shrugged and retrieved his Firebolt. It had been some time since he'd been able to fly, as focused as he'd been on his studies, but he decided he deserved it now. The wards would make it impossible to see him should anyone happen to look, so he was more than happy to take his broomstick out about a half mile from the cottage. He could still see it, but he had plenty of space to fly.

Harry mounted his broomstick, feeling it thrumming with energy and eagerness to be in the air once more. Then Harry kicked off. The Firebolt soared into the sky, and the rush of wind through his hair was a wonderful feeling. It cleared his mind of any lingering worries or doubts and simply gave him the feeling of freedom he'd missed for nearly a year.

As he swooped and dived through the air, Harry let his mind wander, paying just enough attention to where he was going to avoid any accidents. He considered how far he'd come, how much he'd learned in the last two months and the family he'd found with Remus and Tonks, a father and a sister. Then the thought entered his mind, _If only Sirius were here_. The sting of grief, not as painful as he'd expected, brought tears to his eyes, but Harry didn't bother to fight them or conceal them. They burned on his cheeks, cold in the wind. Rather than crippling him, though, the tears were almost cleansing. He was finally beginning to move on.

Harry stayed out, flying and reveling in the feeling of freedom, until the sun began to set. As dusk fell, Harry brought his Firebolt down until he was flying about six feet in the air and cruised leisurely toward the cottage. About a hundred feet away, Harry tilted the broomstick down, slowing gradually, and landed softly. He entered the cottage to find it quiet. A plate of food, warmed by Tonks (but thankfully not cooked by her), sat on a counter in the kitchen. Harry ate it ravenously, having worked up an appetite with all the flying he'd done. Then he washed the dishes and put them away before retiring to his room.

The rest of the weekend went by quickly. Tonks finally mastered her own animagus transformation at the beginning of the week and so was able to coach Harry through the final steps. He finally made his first complete transformation on Sunday evening, just two days before the full moon. Tonks conjured a mirror, a proud expression on her face, and Harry stared in awe at the powerful russet wolf that stared back at him.

He was the express image of the form he'd seen in the potion-induced trance almost exactly a month ago. Standing nearly three feet tall at the shoulder, bright green eyes stared back at him above a reddish muzzle, a patch of black fur between his eyes resembling the lightning bolt scar that adorned his forehead in human form. His ears were larger than a normal wolf's, looking actually quite foxlike. His fur was a mix of black and dark reddish orange on his back, lightening to white on his belly. His tail, bushy and mixed red and black, swished behind him.

"You did it, Harry," Tonks said, kneeling beside the wolf and wrapping an arm around his neck. Harry whuffed softly, knowing Remus would hear if he wasn't careful. He could smell her now, a mix of coconut and wood smoke. He could also pick out another scent which he assumed to be his own, grass and spice and wind. He could smell the wood of the floor, the fabric of the furniture, the hint of fresh outside air through an open window. He could also hear Remus's soft snoring from the other room, Tonks's heartbeat, and the rush of wind outside. His sight wasn't as colorful as Harry was used to, but he could see more detail—the grain of the wood flooring, the stitching of the rug he stood on. He felt the faint urge to hunt, to explore. But he also felt completely at home with Tonks's arm draped over him, and with a wolfish grin, he plopped down with his head on her lap. Tonks chuckled softly.

"Very funny, Harry. Now, can you change back?"

Change back? Harry wasn't sure, especially considering how comfortable he felt in this form. He tilted his head to the side inquiringly, and Tonks smirked.

"Picture yourself as you were. And _please_ don't forget to picture your clothes. I did that the first time and it was rather uncomfortable."

Harry gave a low growl of acknowledgement and pictured what he looked like usually. He made sure to picture the red shirt and jeans he'd been wearing as well to spare Tonks and himself a very uncomfortable situation. It took some time, in which Harry made a few partial transformations, but he finally managed it about a half-hour later.

Harry felt himself grow back to his normal size, felt the fabric of his clothing, his hair brushing his chin. Then he opened his eyes to find himself kneeling beside Tonks, staring at himself in his natural form in the mirror.

"Huh. I'm going to have to work on transforming back still morphed, just in case," Harry said. Tonks smiled.

"That's amazing, Harry. Really. How many people do you know who managed to achieve an animagus transformation in under a month?"

Harry felt his cheeks grow warm, partly in embarrassment yet pleased by her praise. "I think you're the only one," he answered.

Tonks scoffed. "I hardly count. I've already done the process once before, even if I didn't carry it through to the end. Technically speaking, counting from the first time I tried, it's been four years for me."

Harry flushed deeper. "I guess," he said.

"You realize you need a name now, right?" Tonks said after a moment.

"What?" Harry asked.

"A name. You're technically joining the ranks of the Marauders, so you need a Marauder nickname."

Harry couldn't help a smile. He liked the sound of that, liked the idea of being connected to his father and godfather in a way other than just blood and friendship. "All right. Any ideas?"

Tonks adopted a thoughtful expression. "Hmm…Red?" Harry shook his head, giving her an _are-you-kidding-me?_ look. "Uh…Crimson Claw?"

"Did my fur look _crimson_ to you?" Harry asked incredulously.

"No," Tonks admitted. "It was more a rust color. How about…Rust Snout?"

Harry snorted. "You're getting worse at this," he said.

Tonks huffed. "At least I'm trying. You could at least try to come up with something yourself."

"I doubt the Marauders named themselves. Who would choose the name _Wormtail_ for themselves anyway?"

"Fine. Give me something else, then."

"I'd consider…Blaze, Fire Claw…"

"Fire Crab," Tonks offered with a perfectly innocent expression. Harry glared playfully.

"Not a chance."

"Fine. How about Russet?" Tonks offered sarcastically.

Harry was about to protest the name, then realized he kind of liked it. "Actually…that's not bad," he said slowly. "Russet…" he tried it out. "I like it, actually."

Tonks looked half pleased, half incredulous. "Russet it is, then." She stood, motioning Harry to stay down. "I now dub thee Russet," she intoned formally, tapping his head with her wand. Harry almost scoffed at the strange formality, then he noticed the strange sensation traveling through his body that meant she'd cast a spell on him. He glanced in the mirror and growled, sounding remarkably like his animagus form. She'd turned him completely red, skin and all! Harry tackled her from below, knocking her to the floor, and it quickly evolved into a wrestling match. She even transformed after a few minutes, giving Harry only his second look at her form.

"No fair!" he protested. "I only just got it!"

The tawny lynx just gave him a look that told Harry she was laughing at him. Growling again, Harry called up the feeling he'd had when he transformed, and a few moments later the russet wolf was back. He tackled her, amused and slightly surprised to find that their animal forms were almost exactly the same size. He'd thought the lynx was bigger, but it was just the thick fur.

After a short while, they both transformed back, cautious about waking Remus, and called a truce. Harry managed the return transformation quicker this time, a fact which pleased him. It was already late evening by that time, so after a few minutes they both retired to bed.

The next two days were tense. Harry was both excited and anxious to show off his animagus form to Remus and help him during the full moon, but at the same time he was worried about his surrogate father, who slept most of the day on Monday and all day on Tuesday, the day of the full moon. Tonks was anxious, too, and wanted to be there for him in her form as well. However, Harry managed to convince her to let him do the first moon alone. It wasn't that he didn't want her company. Rather, he just wanted the first full moon to be special. He said they could go together during the August moon, and then, with a cheeky smile, said that she would have him all to herself once Harry went back to school. The young auror flushed but for once didn't bother to protest it.

Finally it was near dusk on the evening of the full moon. Remus was weak, and Harry was half-convinced he ought to allow Tonks to come along in her form as well, if only to help him half-carry the older man to the spot in the woods where he would transform. But Harry decided not to. Tonks wished them both luck, though spoke to Harry out of Remus's hearing. It was clear she was anxious, though not as much as she had been during the first moon of the summer. She made sure Harry was stocked with first-aid items and anything else they might need. He accepted it all graciously and shrunk it into his pockets. Then she finally allowed them to leave.

Harry pulled Remus's arm around his shoulders and put his own around the man's waist. He was unsteady on his feet. The evening air was chilly and damp as it had only just stopped raining. Harry noticed Remus was shivering slightly in his threadbare robes, so he withdrew the blanket from his pocket and unshrunk it to sling around Remus's shoulders. Knowing the moon would be rising soon, Harry tried to pick up the pace, and Remus, demonstrating a strength of will Harry hadn't realized he had, matched him stride for stride even though his breathing was labored.

After about twenty minutes of walking, they reached the clearing Remus had gone to the previous month. Harry respectfully turned his back while the werewolf undressed, in order to preserve his clothing. He turned around some minutes later to see Remus shivering under the blanket. Harry cast a warming charm around his surrogate father and knelt beside him.

"You sh-should go," Remus said, glancing nervously at the sky. Clouds mostly obscured it, and by now it was almost fully dark.

"There's still a few minutes left. I'll leave when it starts, I promise," Harry said. His plan was to momentarily leave the site to stow the supplies he'd brought, then return already transformed, and save the explanations for the morning. Remus tried to protest, but Harry stood firm.

After some minutes, Harry sensed a subtle lightening behind the clouds and he sensed Remus stiffen beside him. A moment later he started shaking, pre-transformation tremors, Remus had called them.

"G-go. Go now," Remus said forcefully, even summoning the strength to push Harry away. Taking that as his cue, Harry squeezed his surrogate father's shoulders briefly once before getting to his feet and jogging away.

Harry went just far enough to be out of sight and upwind of the transforming werewolf and stowed the first aid kit, and Remus's robes, in a tree under a few protective enchantments and a sticking charm. Then he heard the first of Remus's screams. Wincing, Harry centered himself and mentally went through the transformation process before making the change. It went faster now, even being only his third complete, successful transformation. A moment later, a large russet wolf stood where Harry had been.

Cautiously, the wolf crept back toward Remus, following the sound of his screams. He cringed at each one, especially as they became less and less human and more and more beastlike. The wolf paused on the outskirts of the clearing, staying out of the way. The older man was writhing and screaming in pain, only partially transformed so far. Harry's human mind cringed away from the sight, and the wolf responded by putting its paws over its ears. If wolves could cry, Harry would have been. He'd known the transformations were difficult and painful, but he'd never imagined just how much. He only had one thing to compare it to—Remus's transformation outside the Shrieking Shack in third year—but that had only been the first few moments before he'd been distracted by Dementors.

Finally, a tawny werewolf, its muzzle shot through with silver, lay shivering in the damp grass. Only once it stood did the russet wolf begin to creep forward, moving slowly and staying low to the ground, wolf instincts overriding Harry's human desire to run at his surrogate father's werewolf form and assure himself that he was all right.

It took only a moment for the werewolf to sense the other presence. His hackles raised, feral golden eyes scanned the shadows for the threat. Russet crept forward on his belly, head down. The approach was to be nonthreatening, but eventually, Harry knew, they would fight for dominance to determine who was the alpha wolf.

Several tense moments passed in silence save the faint rush of wind through the trees and the shuffle of Russet's paws in the grass. When he was four feet away, he stopped. The wolf was calm, but Harry inwardly was frankly terrified. He realized the werewolf was bigger than he was and could easily tear him apart should he be so inclined. Up close, he caught the scent of damp fur and cocoa. The werewolf's golden eyes were fixed penetratingly on Russet, assessing the new arrival. Harry felt the werewolf step closer, and froze. Then another step. Then another. Harry chanced a glance upward. That was a mistake.


	14. Full Moon

Welcome to the fourteenth chapter of _In Control_! Please give me feedback for this chapter, because I know there are places it could be better but I can't figure out how to do so. Thanks and enjoy!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 14: Full Moon**

The werewolf growled menacingly, bared fangs reflecting eerie silver moonlight. Feral yellow eyes glinted dangerously. Without warning, he pounced. Russet let out a yelp of surprise. The werewolf's claws dug into Russet's shoulders, pinning him on his back. Russet growled a challenge and with a powerful kick freed himself from the werewolf's grasp.

The bigger wolf growled and started circling. Harry allowed his wolf's instincts take over, hiding his terrified self behind the red wolf's dangerous teeth and claws. Russet began circling as well, watching for the werewolf's next attack. When none seemed forthcoming, the red wolf launched himself across the clearing, claws bared. The werewolf dodged, but not quite fast enough. Russet's claws opened a shallow gash along the other wolf's shoulder. He growled and attacked and the fight began in earnest.

The two wolves wrestled fiercely. Russet would have the advantage for a moment, then the werewolf would take it back. The clearing was filled with the barks and growls of the two combatant wolves. Finally, the werewolf pounced again, intent on pinning the smaller wolf to the ground. Russet neatly dodged and turned the attack on the other wolf, pinning him to the forest floor and against a thick trunk. He bared his teeth, growling and asserting his alpha status. The werewolf whimpered in submission, and Russet backed away slowly, testing the other wolf's obedience.

The tawny wolf righted himself and kept his head down until Russet was some five feet away. Then the werewolf suddenly pounced, pinning Russet on his back, teeth bared, eyes glinting a challenge, intent on…

Licking him? Russet was on his back, but there was no pain. The sandpaper tongue was rough against Russet's muzzle. Then Harry suddenly realized that glint was not one of bloodlust or rage, but of playfulness and affection.

 _Cub_ , the werewolf seemed to say.

 _Friend?_ Russet asked back. Moony responded by nipping playfully at Russet's ear, then darting away. And suddenly Harry realized that all through the fight, both wolves had been pulling their punches, so to say. They were both bruised and battered, but there was little blood—neither had used their claws or fangs, at least not to draw blood. Russet had won the alpha…but had known almost from the beginning that it had been a play fight all along. Russet got to his feet cautiously, but when the werewolf yipped like a puppy, the red wolf gave a wolfy grin and took off after Moony, tackling him and initiating yet another wrestling match.

The two wolves played until the moon was high, long past midnight. Then, tired out, they laid down to rest in the center of the moonlit clearing, the grass now torn and marked by their wrestling. Moony fell asleep against Russet's flank. Russet gave a low growl of contentment and drifted to sleep not long after.

They were both awoken at moonset as Moony began the transformation back to human. The howls of pain were just as hard to bear for Harry the second time. After several long minutes, Remus lay shivering in the cool predawn air, conscious but with his eyes closed. Russet gave a low whine of sympathy and gently bumped Remus's shoulder with his muzzle, then he left the clearing.

Out of sight Russet transformed back into Harry and he jogged to where he'd left the supplies the previous evening. He grabbed it all and carried it back to the clearing where Remus was sitting up, a perplexed expression on his face as he found very few injuries on his body and nothing bigger than a scratch. He looked up as Harry approached. After a moment the confusion cleared to give way to surprise, then pride and a flash of gratitude, then concern. Then, surprising Harry, Remus's eyes narrowed in obvious anger.

"Whatever you have to say, can it at least wait until we get back to the house?" Harry pleaded before Remus could speak. Remus nodded shortly and Harry tossed him his clothes, turning away while he dressed.

After a moment Remus approached and then walked briskly past Harry. He had to jog a few steps to catch up and the walk back to the cottage passed in absolute silence but for their footsteps. When they reached it, Remus headed straight for his bedroom, bypassing Tonks without saying a word. She gave Harry an questioning look. Harry sighed and collapsed into the chair beside her at the kitchen table. He was only just now realizing how sore and tired he was.

"The transformation went well. We play-fought most of the night. He was conscious after the transformation back. Neither of us are really hurt. But then he realized what I'd done and now he's angry with me," Harry explained wearily.

Tonks gave him a sympathetic look. "I suggest getting it over with as soon as possible. I'll make him some cocoa—he can't be too angry with hot chocolate in his hands," she said with a grin.

Harry smiled a little. "Thanks." He stood and was about to continue, but Remus's raised voice from his room interrupted him.

"Harry James! We are _not_ finished!"

Harry winced at his middle name. "If I don't come back, split everything I have between you two, the Weasleys, and Hermione."

Tonks chuckled and gave him a little push.. "Get going, kid. The big bad wolf won't hurt you _too_ badly."

Harry gave a weak smile and headed toward Remus's room. He opened the door cautiously, and tried not to cringe when he saw Remus standing with his arms crossed in the middle of the room. He shut the door and turned to face his surrogate father, realizing he was about to get his first real telling-off and not liking it one bit.

"Would you mind telling me what in _Merlin's_ name you were thinking, spending the night with a _werewolf_?" Remus demanded.

Harry's defenses went up at the older man's tone. "I was _thinking_ that I wanted to help a friend so he wouldn't hurt himself," he retorted.

"This isn't a _game_ , Harry. It's _not safe_. You could have been _killed_ last night, and where would that have left me?"

"You never killed my dad or Sirius," Harry said defensively. "I trusted you wouldn't hurt me, either."

"You should not have taken that risk. I allowed my friends to do it because I was too afraid to tell them no. But you're different," Remus insisted, his voice still angry.

"How am I different?" Harry retorted. "If I recall correctly, your friends were a lot younger than me when they first made the transformation." Harry narrowed his eyes pointedly. "I may not be seventeen yet, but I _am_ an adult. I can make my own choices. That's the whole reason I left the Dursleys; so _no one_ would tell me what I could and couldn't do!"

"I cannot and will not condone your actions. It's too _dangerous_ , Harry. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you." Remus's voice was intense. "I _forbid_ you from joining me on full moons," he said sternly.

Harry was about to reply when he realized what Remus had said. "You _forbid_ me? I did the work and made the transformation to help _you_! And it worked!"

Remus opened his mouth, then narrowed his eyes and amended whatever he was going to say. "That is beside the point. My statement stands. You are not allowed to be with me on full moons, animagus or not," he said firmly.

Harry's jaw dropped in response to the injunction. "You don't have the right to tell me what to do! You're _not_ my father!"

Remus's mouth dropped open, his expression hurt. Harry's last statement echoed in the silence.

"You're right. I'm not," Remus finally said quietly, his head bowed.

Harry didn't have a response. To his shame, he felt tears burn in his eyes. Without another word Harry spun on his heel and left the room, being sure to slam the door behind him.

Harry shut his own bedroom door more quietly and flung himself onto his bed. He didn't know what to feel. He was still angry at Remus for completely disregarding his success in becoming an animagus, _on Remus's behalf_ , in favor of lecturing Harry about safety. And that hurt, too—the lack of trust Remus had in him. Harry was also ashamed of having hurt Remus with his last words, but he couldn't bring himself to take them back. He felt justified in everything else he'd said. In short, Harry was very confused, and having a hard time keeping back those pesky tears.

Some minutes later, a knock sounded at Harry's door. He didn't bother to respond, but the door opened anyway to admit Tonks, a steaming mug of cocoa in her hand.

"Special delivery," she said with a wink. Harry took the offered mug, straightening up on his bed. He cupped both hands around the mug and stared down into the chocolatey brown liquid while Tonks sat down beside him.

"I heard you both shouting. I told Remus off for being an overprotective prat, but I figured you need me more than he does right now," she said with a soft smile.

Harry sipped carefully at the cocoa and sighed as its warmth spread through his body. "Thanks, Tonks," he said quietly.

"You're welcome, little bro," Tonks answered, gently ruffling his hair. A smile flickered across his face. "Now, might I have the privilege of seeing into the elusive mind of Harry Potter?"

Harry couldn't help a slight smile as Tonks smirked. But he hesitated. Tonks put her arm around his shoulders.

"You can tell me to shut up and go away, or you can tell me what's going on in your head. You don't get a third option," she said, firmly but still with a teasing element in her voice.

Harry sighed, but remained silent. He wasn't used to confiding in others for the trivial things. But Tonks's reassuring squeeze around his shoulders and the heat of the cocoa mug in his hands that she'd prepared for him finally convinced him to speak. "I basically told him to bugger off," he said quietly. "After everything he's done to help me and be a father figure for me, I told him to leave me alone."

Tonks smiled a little. "I've done that to my parents countless times. It doesn't mean they love me any less. And I know for a fact that Remus loves you, Harry. He sees you like the son he never had. He's doing his best."

"I know," Harry admitted. "But I'm still angry that he's not letting me help him."

"You've known him longer than I have. You know he's a bloody noble git," Tonks said with a smirk, and Harry couldn't help a weak chuckle. "He's worried about you, and not without reason." She brushed a cut on Harry's cheek that hadn't been there the previous evening. "You just have to prove to him that you can be just as self-sacrificing as he can," she teased.

Harry laughed a little. "You're right. I just…what if he wants nothing to do with me anymore? I hurt him. What if he leaves me alone?" Harry's voice cracked and he took an overly large gulp of cocoa to hide it and nearly choked.

Tonks squeezed Harry's shoulders again. "You're not alone, little brother. Even if he _does_ leave—which he _won't_ —you've still got me." She grinned, pulling Harry into a half-hug. Almost unconsciously Harry rested his head against her shoulder. Tonks rested her hand on his hair. It was nice, knowing he could count on her.

"Thanks, sis," Harry said quietly.

"Anytime, bro," she answered. "Give yourself a few minutes to find the right words, then go apologize. And then you can have breakfast. Deal?" Tonks asked, pulling away from Harry to look him in the eye.

Harry couldn't help but smile. "As long as you're not actually cooking, deal," he replied.

Tonks tousled his hair. "Good choice. If you'd refused I would have had to hex you," she teased. She stood and pressed a sisterly kiss to the top of his head. "Good luck, kid," she said. Harry nodded his thanks. Tonks took his now-empty mug and left his room. Harry was left alone, and, after a moment thinking how lucky he was to have the support of his surrogate sister, did just what she'd suggested.

Some minutes later, Harry tentatively knocked on Remus's door. The older man called a weary, "Come in." Harry carefully pushed the door open, his heart in his throat. Remus looked up as Harry entered. He looked older than Harry had ever seen him.

"I'm sorry, Moon—" Harry began.

"Please forgive—" Remus started simultaneously. They both stopped, then Harry nodded for Remus to go first.

"Please forgive me, Harry. I let my temper get away with me." Remus's amber eyes were full of regret.

Harry shook his head. "No, I should have warned you earlier. And…I'm sorry for what I said before. I never mean to hurt you."

Remus smiled but without humor. "But you were right. I don't have the right to tell you what to do or not do. I'm not—"

"You are," Harry interrupted him, then felt his face—and his hair—turn red. "I mean…youareineverywaythatmatters," Harry said quickly, averting his eyes. Remus gave him an inquiring look, a smile in his eyes. Harry cleared his throat and forced himself to look the older man in the eye, ignoring his embarrassment. "You're all I have left. And in every way that matters…in the ways I need…you are my father. You _are,_ " Harry repeated more firmly. "And I never meant to hurt you by saying you weren't. I…I guess I let my temper get away with me, too," he admitted sheepishly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Remus smiled, his eyes watery, and held out his arms. "Come here, cub." Smiling, Harry nearly flung himself into his surrogate father's embrace.

Remus held him tightly. "I'm truly sorry for overreacting. But…the idea of you with me on a full moon, _especially_ uncontrolled, terrified me. I couldn't bear it if I were to hurt you." Remus's voice caught and he pressed his face into Harry's hair. After a moment, though, Harry felt the other man's lips turn up in a smile. "I am exceptionally proud of you, though, cub. Becoming an animagus is no easy task, especially at your age, and you managed it in half a summer."

Harry smiled, too. "I did it for you," he repeated, tightening his arms around his surrogate father. "Last full moon, I heard you howling, and…I couldn't live with myself if I let you go through that alone, knowing I could do something about it."

Remus chuckled slightly. Harry lifted his head to give him a questioning look. Smiling, Remus answered, "That's almost exactly what James said when he was justifying the decision to become animagi." Harry practically glowed at hearing yet another tidbit about his parents.

"You know," Remus began after a moment, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "I never did get a proper look at your form. I only know it's some type of wolf."

Harry grinned and stood up, backing away a few paces. Then he closed his eyes, letting the feel of the transformation wash over him once more. A moment later, Russet stood in his place, emerald eyes glinting and tongue lolling out in a playful grin. Remus smiled, and Russet lifted himself onto his back legs, planting his front paws on Remus's knees. Remus laughed and rubbed the red wolf behind the ears, tracing once over the lightning bolt-shaped patch of fur between his eyes. Russet yipped and licked Remus across the face, making him yelp in surprise, torn between disgust and amusement. The latter eventually won and Remus started laughing. Harry transformed back and laughed right along with him, their earlier argument virtually forgotten.

Some time later, they both regained their breath and Harry asked cheekily, "So can I join you next full moon?"

Remus sobered. "I can't say I like the idea of you being in danger, but I can't stop you. As long as you're careful," he qualified, "then I suppose you can."

Harry pumped his fist in the air triumphantly and impulsively hugged his surrogate father. "Thank you!" he exclaimed.

Remus chuckled and hugged him back a moment, then pushed him away gently. "I admire your enthusiasm. But I'm still tired. Let's get breakfast, then I'm going to rest."

Harry nodded and led the way to the kitchen. He was gratified to find plates set out for both him and Remus, and nothing looked burned. Tonks stood triumphantly near the stove, a greasy spatula in her hand.

"Dig in, wolf boys," she teased. "Made fresh and _unburnt_. Enjoy!"

Harry and Remus laughed and dug in.


	15. Making Memories Part 1

Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update, but I haven't had a lot of writing time this week. This chapter isn't exactly action-packed, but hopefully it will be fun. Thanks as always for all the reviews, and don't forget to leave your comments on this chapter too. Enjoy!

I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Chapter 15: Making Memories**

 _Clunk._

" _Shh_!"

"I can't help that I'm a klutz!"

"You're lucky _he's_ not the one with extra-sensitive hearing," Remus muttered. He waved his wand again, completing the banner with a simple color-changing charm.

"I said I'm sorry!" Tonks hissed, righting the conjured table she'd bumped into and replacing the fallen giftwrapped boxes. Remus sighed.

"Fine, you're forgiven. But if the surprise is ruined, it's on you."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Please. The kid sleeps like dead, especially after your night last night. I'm surprised _you're_ still awake, frankly."

Remus grunted slightly. "Coffee and a few potions work wonders. But I was hardly going to let yet another birthday pass without doing _something_."

"Do you think we got him enough gifts?" Tonks asked worriedly, eying the leaning stack of colorful parcels on the table.

Remus chuckled lightly. "I think there are more than enough. Any more and we'd have needed a table twice as big to hold them all." He cast a few more charms, being sure to include a few mild prank spells as well on the doorway, then nodded to himself. "I think it's ready. _Please_ be careful not to disturb anything," he pleaded. Tonks huffed.

"I'm always careful," she replied, sticking her nose in the air. She tried to walk out of the room like that and ran into the doorframe. Remus couldn't help laughing. Tonks glared at him, her hair flashing orange, then she corrected her course and went to the sitting room. Remus shook his head, still smiling to himself. He cast another surveying look around the kitchen and gave a satisfied nod. Then he followed Tonks to the front room.

She was already asleep again and snoring softly on the couch, her hair having faded to its natural wavy, chocolatey brown in her unconscious state. Remus smiled softly and silently transfigured the armchair into a reclining chair and settled into it. It was long past midnight, already the 31st, and Harry wouldn't be up for hours yet. So Remus allowed his eyes to close, planning on catching a few more hours' rest.

Harry woke slowly to sunlight streaming through the partially open curtains and across his face. He groaned softly and rolled over, trying to block out the light. He was exhausted, having been up the entire night previous and spent quite a lot of energy keeping up with Moony as Russet, and had gone to bed rather late the evening before trying to catch up on Occlumancy, something he'd neglected for a few days because of the excitement and anxiety surrounding the full moon.

Just as he was starting to drift off again, an agitated tapping sound echoed through the room. Blinking against the sun's glare and wincing at its brightness, Harry glanced toward the window to see three owls sitting outside. One was his own Hedwig and was the one doing the impatient tapping. Another black owl he didn't recognize, but the purple and orange envelope attached to its leg with the WWW logo on it hinted at the Weasley twins. The other was Pigwidgeon. The envelope tied to his leg was bigger than the owl himself. All three also carried a parcel of some sort. Hedwig carried two.

Grinning, suddenly remembering it was his sixteenth birthday, Harry rolled out of bed and opened the window. Hedwig flew in first and gave him an irritated nip on the ear. Pig followed, urged along by the last owl who Harry swore had the same mischievous glint in his eye as Fred and George did when they were planning a prank.

His fingers fumbling due to tiredness and excitement, Harry detached the letters and parcels and sent the owls on their way. Hedwig fluttered up to the top of the wardrobe. The black owl ruffled its feathers importantly and took off with a hoot that sounded eerily like a laugh. Pig just went crazy, as always. With a slight grin, Harry made a mental note to sic him on Remus this time—Tonks would curse him into next year if he so much as thought otherwise, but she'd laugh if Remus was the victim.

Harry stacked the parcels on his desk to open when he was more awake and figured, since he was up, he might as well get ready for the day. But when he turned away from the window, his jaw dropped.

His room had been elaborately decorated, clearly while he'd been asleep, in Gryffindor colors with the odd forest green streamer thrown in. Balloons were hung in every corner and littered the floor—it was a marvel he hadn't noticed before. Party streamers hung in no discernable order from the ceiling and walls, flashing colors. Some of them were twisting through the air, alternately spelling out _Congratulations!_ and _Happy Birthday!_ Even the walls were splattered with color, and Harry was suddenly afraid to look in the mirror for fear his hair or skin color had changed as well without his consent.

Harry felt a mixture of annoyance, and apprehension, and gratitude. The latter filled him to the brim with the knowledge that someone besides Hermione and the Weasleys had remembered his birthday and cared enough to make an effort to make the day special. However, it was also rather concerning. If his _room_ looked like this, he couldn't imagine what might be awaiting him throughout the rest of the house, especially considering he lived with a Marauder and a very willing accomplice. The whole house was probably rigged with birthday pranks.

After a moment's hesitation, Harry finally decided to just go with it. It might even be fun. So he pushed his bedroom door open, only somewhat surprised to feel a bucket of something cold and wet empty itself over his head. Spluttering, Harry found himself covered in paint—gold paint. He went to the bathroom and glitter rained from the showerhead rather than water for the first five minutes. Predictably, it got everywhere, and even the shower didn't get rid of it all. The paint didn't wash off at all, and in fact was splattered across the rest of his body as if his clothing hadn't even been there.

Dressing, Harry found his clothes had also changed color—instead of the plain dark grey t-shirt and blue jeans, he found the shirt had turned red with _Birthday Boy_ flashing across the front in alternating colors. The jeans were a horrible metallic gold. With a resigned sigh and his mind already brainstorming retaliatory pranks, Harry dressed in his transfigured clothes and followed the trail of gold streamers to the kitchen.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, a very strange, heavy metal rendition of the Happy Birthday song began playing, and Remus and Tonks appeared from what seemed to be Harry's invisibility cloak and in unison shouted, "surprise!" and Harry was nearly blinded by a flash—a camera flash. Then they got a good look at him and started laughing. Hard.

"Looks like our pranks worked, Moony," Tonks gasped out.

"We got him good," Remus agreed, wiping a tear from his eye caused from laughing so hard.

The kitchen was even more decked out than Harry's bedroom had been. But what made his jaw drop and his eyes go wide was not the streamers or the flashing colors, but the table piled high with packages, all clearly labeled with Harry's name.

"All mine?" was all he could manage, the shock evident in his voice.

Tonks and Remus stopped laughing and their smiles turned affectionate rather than mirthful.

"Of course, cub," Remus said.

"Merlin knows you deserve it. Besides, who else do you know in this house whose birthday is July 31st?" Tonks said, winking.

Harry blinked hard. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Then he cleared his throat. "You realize this means war, right?" he added, smirking as he gestured to himself. Tonks and Remus grinned.

"We can take it," Tonks answered. "Now can we eat? I'm starved!"

Harry and Remus chuckled and they sat down at the wooden table, _not_ the one piled high with gifts, and began to eat.

"You know, I'm curious," Harry began after several moments of content silence. "Why did you feel the need to prank me, _multiple_ times, before I even made it down the hallway?"

Tonks grinned and Remus explained. "It's a Marauder tradition. The birthday boy gets pranks pulled on him all day."

"You mean there's _more?_ " Harry groaned in dismay. The other two laughed.

"You'll get a break during the party," Tonks said.

"Party?" Harry asked, confused.

"Of course. Party. You know, when lots of people get together to celebrate something or just have fun together?"

"But…who did you invite?"

Remus answered this time. "Just a few Weasleys, a Granger, and a Longbottom," he said with a smile. Harry's face lit up at the mention of his friends. "We wanted to keep it small, for security reasons. There are enough Goblin wards on this place that they won't remember where it is when they leave, though. And from the street it looks worse than how we found it," he explained. Harry grimaced slightly at the reminder of how rundown the cottage looked when he first bought it.

"When are they coming?"

"Not until this afternoon. I asked your little friend Dobby to prepare the meals," Remus said. "He was delighted to cook for the 'Great Harry Potter.' He's around here somewhere, probably setting up outside."

Smiling so big it threatened to split his face open, Harry impulsively threw his arms around Remus. "Thank you, Moony. This is already the best birthday I've ever had," he said quietly.

Remus hugged him back. "You're welcome, cub. But I can't take all the credit." He chuckled.

Harry grinned and switched his hug to Tonks, who squeezed him hard but affectionately. "You deserve it, little bro," she said with a smile.

"So, when do we find out what's inside all these parcels?" Tonks asked, grinning, while Dobby cheerfully cleared the breakfast dishes. Harry had been overjoyed to see the little house elf and the little guy had been bending over backwards to please him all morning.

"I have a choice?" Harry asked, amused. Remus chuckled.

"She just wants to know if she'll have to wait for the party to see what's inside," he said amusedly.

"But they're mine," Harry said, unable to stop a grin.

"Yes, but Tonks's curiosity is insatiable."

Harry thought for a moment. He guessed most of the gifts on the table were from Tonks and Remus, jointly and separately. He was also willing to bet that the soft, flat packages were all from Tonks and contained clothing items—she'd expressed distaste at his boring wardrobe multiple times, hinting that she'd buy him something better if it was the last thing she did. Harry recalled the other packages waiting in his room as well. "I'll open the ones from the guests at the party if they're already here. The rest…well, I'm just as curious as Tonks," he said with a grin. Tonks cheered and tossed him the first package. The tag had her name in the signature block. Harry eagerly ripped it open.

Out of the wrappings fell a t-shirt with the Weird Sisters logo and emblem blazoned across the front and a quote from a song on the back. Harry grinned—predictable. A camera flashed just as he unfolded the shirt, and he cast a halfhearted glare at Remus's innocent look.

The rest of the unwrapping went similarly. Harry received packages of various sweets from Honeydukes and a few muggle treats as well. There were a few new books, one on defensive magic, one on Occlumancy, and one on pranks—all from Remus, of course. A few random gadgets were also included, as well as a custom-fitted dragon hide wand holster from Tonks. There were also about a dozen new additions to his wardrobe, consisting of shirts, pants, and even robes. All were from Tonks except for one custom-made t-shirt from Remus with the Marauders'—the _true_ Marauders'—names and animagus forms printed across the front with _The Marauders_ across the back.

"We'll have to add Russet, too. If I'd known sooner you would have been included," Remus said, smiling, when Harry unwrapped it. Harry smiled.

"Thanks, Moony," he said. Harry then went on to unwrap a new broomstick polishing kit to replace the old, used-up one from Hermione in third year, some pranking gear and a box of what Tonks called "the prankster's survival kit." It contained all the basic prank materials such as dung bombs, itching powder, color-changing and other multi-purpose potions with various prank-worthy effects. Included was a handbook on how to use each item most effectively. Harry suspected she'd gotten at least a little advice from the Weasley twins, not to mention many of the products.

At the bottom of the stack Harry found a hard, rectangular package that was too flat to be a book. Unwrapping it, Harry discovered the communications mirror his godfather had given him before he left for his fifth year. He'd all but forgotten about it, and couldn't help but wonder for a moment how Remus had gotten his hands on it. There was a note that explained it had been updated and improved and charmed unbreakable, and that Remus had its pair. The note was signed, "Love, Padfoot and Moony."

A slight lump in his throat, Harry looked up and met Remus's eyes. He was smiling gently, and Harry couldn't help giving him another hug.

"Thank you," he said fervently.

Remus squeezed him back. "You're welcome, cub."

Tonks watched the interaction between her two favorite men with a soft smile, pleased they'd been brought together. After they separated, though, she shot a prank spell between them that caught them both. They both yelped in surprise, exchanged a glance, then took off after her, wands blazing.

At about three, the trio finally put an end to their prank war in order to prepare for Harry's party, which was due to start at four and guests could arrive at any time up to thirty minutes beforehand. After much pleading and promises, Harry finally convinced Remus and Tonks to lift the spells they'd cast on him that morning. It had been fun for the morning, but he was hardly going to show up to his own party with mottled gold skin and glitter clinging to everything. The argument that finally worked was mentioning that he could start his party un-pranked—but didn't have to end it that way.

When he was finally back to normal, Harry spent what felt like ages staring at his reflection, trying to decide whether or not to reveal his morphing abilities and if so, how. He decided against it, at least in something so obvious as his appearance. He let his hair fall long enough to brush his chin and tied it back with a strip of leather, making sure it stayed black and somewhat messy. However, Harry just couldn't resist his usual colored streak. He chose auburn this time, a milder version of Gryffindor red, as that seemed to be the color scheme of the day. He could pass it off as the remnants of a prank if anyone got too curious before he was ready to explain. He resumed the facial structure everyone would be expecting, but filled out a bit so he didn't look as skinny. He was still slender, but now it was more muscle than bone. He also refused to go back to wearing glasses, so he left his emerald eyes unobscured.

Finally satisfied, Harry left the bathroom. He retrieved the unwrapped packages from that morning and stacked them neatly on the table in the kitchen. Then he went to go wait in the front room where the fireplace was, as all his guests would be Flooing in except for the Weasley twins, who would apparate with Tonks after meeting her in their shop at Diagon Alley. Remus was already there waiting, and greeted Harry with a smile.

Only a few minutes had gone by before the familiar _crack_ of apparition sounded from outside. A moment later two Weasley twins burst through the front door, followed by an amused Tonks.

"Harry, mate!" George exclaimed, slapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Nice place you've got," Fred added, looking around.

"You have a lot of space—"

"Do you have a Quidditch pitch?

"Gryffindor colors—good choices." Fred gave an approving nod.

"But it could do with a little more gold—"

"And a little less red. Don't you think gold—"

"In his hair would be more fetching than red?"

"What do you think, Harry?"

Harry was so taken aback at being addressed directly after such a flurry of comments that he didn't answer for several seconds. But he couldn't help being amused—he never tired of the twins' humor.

"I don't know. What do you think?" Harry said finally, turning his auburn streak gold and looking to Tonks for her approval.

"Well, it definitely stands out more," she conceded uncertainly after a moment.

"Yes or no?" Harry asked, addressing Remus and the twins next.

"Definitely," "Not fetching." "Not at all." The three answered simultaneously. The twins grinned unabashedly at agreeing with the Marauder.

"So back to red, then?" Harry asked, sharing their amusement. The four nodded and Harry immediately changed the color back, and just in time because the Floo came to life in the next instant. Out stumbled Hermione, a bit of ash smeared across her face. Fred, who was closest, caught her before she hit the ground.

"Thanks," she said, embarrassed. "Oh, I hate Floo travel. I _still_ haven't gotten the hang of it," she moaned, straightening up. Harry chuckled at her comment and she looked in the direction of the sound. Her eyes widened. "Oh, Harry!" she exclaimed in greeting and she grabbed him in a hug. Through a faceful of bushy brown hair, Harry returned the hug enthusiastically. It took him slightly by surprise how much he'd missed his two best friends that summer. Usually he would have been with them for nearly a month by now.

After a moment she finally released him and Harry massaged his ribs with a playful grimace. "Your hugs could give Mrs. Weasley's a run for their money," he teased. She whacked him on the arm with her hand.

"Forgive me for missing my best friend this summer," she retorted, though she was smiling.

Harry was about to answer when the Floo roared to life again, this time spitting Ron out ungracefully, followed by Ginny who stepped out casually, smirking down at her older brother as he rubbed his shoulder which had bumped the edge of the hearth. Those in the sitting room already laughed at the lanky redhead's plight.

Harry, still laughing, gave Ron a hand up, helping him back to his feet. Ron cast an angry glare at the fireplace while he brushed ash and soot off his clothes. Then he reached for Harry's hand to shake in greeting, but Harry grabbed it and pulled him into a brotherly embrace.

"Nice place," Ron commented, glancing around. "Reminds me of the Burrow, except…cleaner."

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Ron. That's part of why I chose it."

"Happy Birthday, Harry," Ginny said, moving in for a hug of her own. Harry gave her a brief and friendly embrace.

"Thanks. You know, aside from Remus and Tonks, you're the first to say that out loud," he commented, smiling. Ron flushed slightly while the twins laughed jovially. Hermione stammered slightly but quickly wished him Happy Birthday as well.

Just a moment later, the fireplace burst into green flames once more. The guests exchanged looks, wondering who else was invited. Neville stumbled out of the Floo, his clothing askew and soot on his cheek, but a smile on his face.

"Hey, Harry," he greeted, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Happy late Birthday," Harry replied with a smile. Neville smiled back.

"Happy Birthday," he echoed, pulling a wrapped parcel from his pocket. Harry accepted it with a thanks, remembering why he'd invited the other boy. It wasn't just because Neville had become a good friend, but because Harry felt he deserved to know of the prophecy since it could have been him. He was hoping to find a moment during or immediately after the party to share it with him.

"Is that everyone?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded. "We decided to keep it small due to the security risk."

"Oy! No more depressing stuff," George interjected as Harry was about to explain further.

"Yeah! Let's get this party started!" Fred agreed. The others agreed wholeheartedly. Remus, filling the role of the adult even though three of the others present were of age, ushered everyone into the kitchen and out through the back door and Harry got his first glimpse of the decorations.


	16. Making Memories Part 2

Hello everyone! This will be the last chapter for _Taking Control_. I'm planning both a sequel and a companion fic, but there won't be any new postings for at least a few weeks as I'm going back to school in a few days and classes start on the 15th. Thank you for all the support, and I'm open to suggestions on how to work through sixth year, as I don't want to follow canon too closely; it won't fit with the new Harry I've invented. Plus it's a bit boring. So read and enjoy, and keep an eye out for the new update!

 **Chapter 16: Making Memories (Part 2)**

The sun was shining brightly, a welcome change from the gloomy clouds that had prevailed most of the summer. The light reflected off the gold-colored party decorations. Red and gold streamers were suspended in midair, outlining a space around a table piled with food and three round tables set with chairs. Harry was also pleased to see a makeshift Quidditch pitch set up in the field beyond the garden. Dobby had really outdone himself this time.

"Whoa," Ron exclaimed. "Did you do all this?"

Harry grinned and shook his head. "Dobby did it."

At the mention of his name, the excitable house elf appeared in front of him. "How can Dobby serve Harry Potter?"

Still smiling, Harry spoke. "We just wanted to say thank you for the decorations. You did a great job, Dobby."

Dobby bobbed his head in acknowledgement, his eyes filling with tears. "Harry Potter is welcome, sir. Moony Sir is wanting it to be perfect for Harry Potter's birthday."

"Well, it is," Harry repeated.

"Yes, thank you so much, Dobby," Hermione said, entering the conversation.

"You is welcome, Miss 'Mione," Dobby replied with a slight bow.

"Yeah, thanks," Ron said awkwardly. The others were looking on in amusement, and chorused their thanks as well. Dobby flushed with pleasure at their praise, then snapped his fingers and disappeared.

As soon as the elf had gone, Ron and the Weasley twins made for the food table. Ginny and Neville followed, chuckling at the others' enthusiasm. Remus was sitting in a chair nearby, watching with a smile, while Tonks joined the Weasleys.

"How are you, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I'm doing well, Hermione. Honest," he added at her incredulously raised eyebrow. "Remus and Tonks have been a big help."

Hermione bit her lip, obviously trying to decide if he was telling the truth, but finally nodded and gave him a soft smile. "I'm glad you're doing better. We've been worried about you, you know," she said.

Harry shrugged a little sheepishly. "It was safer this way. Dumbledore might still try to interfere and send me back to the Dursleys if he finds me, and going back there won't help me at all. I'd rather keep this place a secret for as long as possible—which is why you won't be able to tell anyone where it is once you leave."

Hermione nodded and a moment passed in silence, then she asked a predictable question. "How are your studies going?"

Harry grinned. "Really well. I took my OWLs in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy last weekend. I should get the scores by next week, at the latest. I'm already started some of the sixth year material in the core subjects," he said.

Hermione gave him a sideways look, as if she didn't really believe him. "You're joking, right?"

Harry shook his head and raised his hand, mock-swearing. "I'm not joking."

"Then what's the first potion on the sixth year curriculum?" She shot at him, choosing a subject she assumed he wouldn't have bothered to study much.

"The Draught of Living Death, which slows all body functions to be almost imperceptible, thus imitating death almost perfectly. It's a rather difficult brew, actually. Lots of new ingredients," Harry answered immediately, enjoying her open-mouthed look of astonishment. "I haven't tried it yet, though," he added, grinning. Hermione frowned a little.

"So you get one question right. What's the first thing on the curriculum for DADA, Charms, and Transfiguration?"

"Silent casting. And yes, I've already started on that, too," he said, wordlessly lighting his wand with the _lumos_ charm.

"Well, then I'll be working extra-hard to catch up." Hermione said with a huff.

"Friendly competition, then? I'd hate for any hard feelings to develop just because I've been studying more than you this summer," Harry said. Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Let the best witch win?" she asked, extending her hand.

"Or wizard," Harry replied, taking her hand and shaking it.

"When are you opening the presents, Harry?" Ron asked, appearing beside them and looking just as excited as Tonks had been that morning. He also appeared to have already raided the food table. Harry couldn't help but grin.

"I suppose we can do it now," he said with a shrug. Ron nodded enthusiastically.

"Oy! Presents!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the other guests, plus Tonks. She and the twins raced back; Neville followed with a grin but at a more sedate pace, followed closely by Ginny, who was shaking her head at her brothers' antics. The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione led the way to the table where the gifts were laid out.

The next thirty minutes or so passed quickly, charged with excitement. Harry opened the rest of his gifts while the others looked on. From Hermione he had received a new book of defensive spells that included a section on using Charms and Transfiguration in dueling. From Ginny he got a new pair of seeker's gloves, paid for from wages gained working part-time at her brothers' shop, plus some homemade treacle tart.

"Mum did most of the work on the tart," she said, blushing a little. "It's mostly from her, though it was my idea."

"Thanks, Ginny," Harry said with a smile. Then he moved on to his other gifts.

Ron got him a new and improved sneakascope and a selection of prank items and treats from Honeydukes. Fred and George had sent him a box of their newest products and a voucher for anything in their shop for free. "To make it official," they said, "that you're not paying for _anything_ from our shop, ever."

"Thanks, guys," Harry said, but he still planned on sneaking them tips because he didn't consider it fair that he got everything free.

Neville had gotten Harry a gift certificate for the Three Broomsticks and a potted cutting from his Mimbletus Mimbletonia, the cactus that spurted stinksap. "It was getting too big, so I had to prune it. I figured you could make use of it. It's a nice window decoration, and the sap can be used in pranks," he explained a little embarrassedly.

"It's great, Neville. Thanks," Harry said sincerely, clapping the other boy on his shoulder.

Harry also opened two more gifts, one more from Tonks and another from Remus. The one from Remus was a set of journals from his Hogwarts days, written by himself, James, and Sirius. The contents, Harry saw as he flipped through them with an amazed expression, consisted mainly of notes for spells and potions they'd invented or altered and a record of their most famous and successful pranks. It also included, Harry realized with some amusement, their animagus notes. Remus gave him a knowing look as he thumbed through it.

"Thank you," Harry said fervently, his eyes shining as he gave the older man a grateful smile. Remus just smiled back.

Tonks's gift was a leather-bound journal. The first few pages recorded her own experience with the animagus transformation—she gave him a wink—and useful tips on dueling, metamorphmagus abilities, and other tidbits she'd thought he'd like to know. The rest, though, was blank, for Harry to record his own stories and ideas. It was also charmed to never run out of pages.

"You coordinated this, didn't you," Harry stated, grinning at the pair of them. Tonks's face turned slightly pink in a poorly concealed blush, and Remus just smiled. "Thank you, both of you," Harry said.

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" The group said in a ragged chorus. Harry just grinned and repeated his thanks. Then the group dispersed. The Weasley boys all headed toward the Quidditch pitch, clearly expecting Harry to follow. Hermione and Ginny struck up a conversation with Remus and Tonks, so Harry was left with Neville. He figured now was as good a time as ever to relate his news about the prophecy with the boy.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry asked him.

"Sure, Harry," Neville answered with a shrug. Harry led him farther from the main group, away from potential eavesdroppers, where he conjured two chairs. Harry also set a subtle privacy ward. It wouldn't do to be overheard, and Harry still hadn't decided whether or not to tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy. Neville's jaw dropped slightly at the display of NEWT-level magic, but sat down beside Harry. "What do you need to talk about?"

Harry briefly closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself. "This won't be easy, for me to say or for you to hear. But you deserve to know," he began. It was clear he now had Neville's complete attention. "Do you remember the prophecy orb from the Ministry?"

He nodded. "But it broke, didn't it?"

"It did," Harry agreed. "But Dumbledore heard it when it was first given, and after we got back that night, he told me. It's a prophecy about Voldemort and the one who can defeat him. Voldemort knew part of it, but not all of it. That's why he wanted it—to see what he would be up against." Harry paused, letting out a heavy exhale that wasn't quite a sigh. "It mentioned him and one other person—the one supposedly destined to defeat him. That person is me…but it could have been you."

"Defeat…Him? Me?" Neville whispered, his eyes wide. "But…I'm nothing. I can barely do magic. The only reason I passed my OWLs is because of you and Hermione."

Harry smiled a little. "You're not nothing, Neville. You did brilliantly in the DA all on your own. You just needed the motivation." Harry paused. "But that's what the prophecy mentions, is who and how. This is the first part, the part that Voldemort knows. It says, ' _the one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…'_ That's how it could have been either of us. Both your parents and mine faced Voldemort three times and defied him, and we were both born at the end of July."

Neville looked nervous and uncomfortable, but he nodded in understanding. "But why is it you and not me?" he asked after a moment.

"That's the second part, the part that only Dumbledore and I, and now you, will know: _'and the dark lord shall mark him as his equal, and he shall have power the dark lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord will be born as the seventh month dies…'_ "

"Mark…? Does that mean…?" Neville trailed off, awkwardly pointing to Harry's forehead.

Harry nodded, pushing aside his bangs to reveal the lightning bolt scar. "That Halloween, he chose to come after me, to mark _me_ …though accidentally I'm sure. That's what makes me, and not you, the 'Chosen One'," he said with a grimace.

"But that means…you have to either kill him or be killed by him?" Neville sounded horrified.

"That's what I thought at first. I thought that because of the prophecy, I was obligated to do something, that it was my destiny or something," Harry said with a slight smile. "But then I realized that it doesn't. I can still choose whether or not to go after him. But, I won't ever be able to live a normal life while he lives, because _he_ will always come after _me_ , no matter where I go. That's what the last part means, 'neither can live while the other survives.' But," Harry began, his expression determined, "he _did_ kill my parents, a friend, _and_ my godfather. I'm hardly going to let that go."

Neville nodded in agreement, a fierce expression forming on his face. A moment passed in silence, then he spoke again. "But why tell _me_ all this, if it was you all long?"

"I felt you had a right to know, because you have as much reason to fight as I do," Harry said, quietly but firmly.

Neville nodded fiercely. "That's right. I _will_ fight, for Mum and Dad."

"So will I," Harry agreed, then he smiled. "Did you know that we're god-brothers?"

"We are?" Neville asked, completely derailed by the change of subject.

Harry nodded, smiling. "Remus mentioned it once. Your mum is my godmother, and my mum was yours."

"Really?"

"Really. So, brothers?" Harry inquired, extending his hand.

Neville grinned. "Brothers," he agreed, clasping the offered hand firmly for a moment.

"Oy, Harry! We need another seeker!" George called across the yard. The guests had all congregated and were gearing up for a three-on-three Quidditch match. Hermione refused to play, and Remus was still recovering from the full moon.

Harry grinned. "Coming!" he called back. He and Neville exchanged a grin, then Harry ran toward the pitch, summoning his Firebolt as he went.


	17. Sneak Peek: A Mishap and an Opportunity

Hi everyone! Thanks for sticking with me to the end! Here's a sneak peek (and the prologue) of a companion piece to _Taking Control_. Enjoy, leave your comments, and the first official chapter of _A Mishap and an Opportunity_ will be up tomorrow!

 **Prologue: August 1996**

"We'll go shopping for your basic supplies afterward," Tonks said.

"I just hope I pass," Harry said nervously. "I've only managed to apparate a few times, and only twice deliberately."

"Well, if you want to wait another month, that's fine. But I thought you were itching to be able to do it legally," Tonks pointed out.

Harry sighed. "You're right. I can do it!" he said, mostly to himself.

Tonks grinned and ruffled his hair, ignoring Harry's protests. "That's the spirit! Grab hold," she said, offering her arm. Harry gripped her forearm and she apparated them to the Ministry of Magic.

Once they arrived, Tonks led Harry up to the same floor as the auror offices and approached a desk, behind which sat an older wizard with wispy hair. The placard on the desk red "Wilkie Twycross." He looked up as the two approached.

"I'm here to take the apparition test and get my license," Harry said at Tonks's prompting.

"Name?"

Harry hesitated, but Tonks gave him an encouraging look so he took a deep breath. "Harry Potter."

The wizard's head whipped up and he gasped slightly at seeing the famous scar on Harry's forehead—he'd taken to wearing his hair parted in the middle, so his fringe fell to either side. It didn't matter at home, but out it public it meant his scar was visible for everyone to see.

"What a pleasure, Mr. Potter! I'd be most delighted to be your examiner today," the wizard exclaimed. Harry concealed a sigh.

"Thank you, sir," he said. The wizard half leapt around his desk and led Harry to a large, empty room. Tonks followed close behind, an amused smirk in direct opposition to her otherwise sympathetic expression. Harry grimaced at her before following the other man inside.

"Now, Mr. Potter. The apparition test is quite simple. I'm going to tell you to apparate to a certain spot in this room—as you can see, there are places marked with x's on the floor. The closer you are to the x, the better your score. You have to be within a foot in any direction of the marked spot to pass.

Harry nodded, wiping his suddenly sweaty hands on the sides of his trousers. "Okay. I'm ready," he said, taking another deliberately deep breath.

"Very well. You start here," Twycross indicated a red x on the floor, marked in what looked like tape. "First you'll apparate to the yellow x over there." He pointed to a mark on the other side of the room, which suddenly looked bigger. "From there, you'll apparate to the green one, there in the middle. Then blue, off to the left, and finally back to this one, the red."

Harry nodded again. He positioned himself exactly over the red x, looked across the room to where the yellow x was, then closed his eyes. He took one more steadying breath, then he turned on the spot.

He disappeared with a _crack_ , and when he reappeared, Harry was pleased to find himself standing directly over the yellow x, completely across the room from his examiner. He felt a grin spread across his face as he repeated the steps. Disapparating with another loud _crack_ , Harry now found himself in the center of the room, though not quite as exact as before. He took an extra breath, tamping down on his excitement born from success, and apparated to the blue x and back to the red one.

"Well done, Mr. Potter!" Twycross exclaimed. He scribbled something on the clipboard he carried, then tore off a sheet of paper. He magicked it to disappear, and Harry assumed it was sent to wherever the records were kept. Then Twycross tore another paper off and handed it to Harry, tapping it once with his wand to give it the magical equivalent of lamination. Its appearance was similar to a muggle drivers' license, but smaller.

"Thank you, sir," Harry said with a grateful nod. Twycross nodded and shooed him away, though not without exclaiming how much of a pleasure it was to give Harry Potter his apparition license (a year early).

In one of the lifts as they were leaving, Harry overheard someone muttering about "repairs down in the Department of Mysteries. Don't know _what_ those kids were thinking."

"Is there anything I can do?" Harry said, raising his voice slightly to be heard by the muttering employee in what Harry recognized were Unspeakable robes as described to him by Tonks in an idle conversation.

"If you've got a few thousand galleons," the man said with a doubtful shrug.

Harry thought for a moment. "If I did, who would I talk to about a donation?"

"I'd go down to the Unspeakables office. There's always someone on duty there. Here's my stop," the man said, and he left the lift once the doors opened.

"Do you mind if we go down?" Harry asked Tonks. "I'd like to try to make up for all the damage I caused."

Tonks shrugged. "I suppose. We're in no hurry to get your supplies. Plus, I've always wanted to see what it looks like down there," she added with a grin.

Harry smiled. "Thanks."

Instead of getting off at the Atrium, they took the lift down to the basement and followed the Unspeakable's directions to the main entrance to the Department of Mysteries. They found the desk with a very bored-looking witch behind it. Harry smiled slightly—he and Tonks were probably the most exciting thing to happen to her all day.

"Hi. I'm Harry Potter and I wanted to see the damage me and my friends caused so I can make a fair repayment," Harry said. The witch looked up and raised an eyebrow, but otherwise did not react to the presence of the "Chosen One."

"It's about time you kids started taking responsibility," she muttered to herself. "I'll get someone to show you around then."

"Thank you," Harry said. The witch nodded absentmindedly, then rose and went to find someone. A few minutes later she returned with a middle-aged Unspeakable. She reminded Harry and Tonks that they were not to touch anything nor were they to wander off. They were to stay with the ministry worker and go only where he led them. That chore finished, the witch returned to her seat behind the desk and the Unspeakable beckoned them forward.

He led them through the rooms Harry recognized as being the ones through which he and his friends had passed in order to get to the prophecy room. However, he had to clamp down hard on his Occlumency when the Unspeakable showed them the damage in the veil room. Thankfully they passed only on the outskirts and didn't linger.

They went through the brain room and the planet room, and Harry grimaced at the damage that was still visible. It was going to be a hefty "donation," that was for sure.

The last room on their tour was the time room, where Harry remembered having smashed all the time turners and the somewhat horrific image of the Death Eater whose head had somehow gotten caught in a time loop.

"Don't touch anything," the ministry worker warned as they entered the room. The room had been tidied so that glass fragments weren't scattered across the floor, but there was still evidence of the battle that had taken place there. The worker led Harry and Tonks to the far side of the room, where the cabinet of time turners used to stand. In its place was a pedestal, upon which sat an oblong sphere that looked a lot like the prophecy orbs save for the smoke inside being gold. It swirled aimlessly and Harry occasionally caught glimpses of events long past. "This is the Hour Glass. It's where we extract the dust for the time turners," the man explained. Harry felt unexplainably and inexplicably drawn to the orb and almost unconsciously his hand rose from his side toward the object. "However, it's very temperamental, especially now—"

"Don't touch it, Harry!" Tonks shouted, grabbing Harry's wrists. Her voice startled him. His hand dropped onto the orb and he couldn't remove it. Harry jerked slightly as a current of magic flooded his body and Tonks's, then he felt a yank around his navel and everything went black.


End file.
